Los Alamos Environmental Sustainability Board Meeting

Date: January 15, 2026 | Time: 5:30 PM | Location: Council Chambers, 1000 Central Avenue (and via Zoom)

The Environmental Sustainability Board (ESB) held its regular monthly meeting, electing a new Chair and Vice-Chair, approving the 2026 work plan and meeting schedule, and receiving a detailed presentation on the 2025 Los Alamos County Recycling Material Audit. Board members also heard updates from liaisons and working groups on a range of sustainability initiatives.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Agenda – Amended to move the election of Chair and Vice-Chair to the end of board business. Motion passed unanimously.
• Approval of Minutes – The December 18, 2025 ESB minutes were approved unanimously.
• Approval of 2026 ESB Meeting Schedule – The schedule (third Thursday of each month at 5:30 PM) was approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were offered in chambers or online.

Discussion Items

1. 2025 Los Alamos County Recycling Material Audit

• Presenters: Adam Meyer (District Manager, Road Runner Waste Services) and Paul Rougemont (Plant Manager, BARCO Albuquerque Materials Recovery Facility).
• Key statistics: 46,653 pounds of material audited (23.33 tons); 82.3% was clean recyclable material; 8,243 pounds (4.12 tons) of residual contamination (17.7%).
• Fiber materials (OCC and mixed paper) comprised nearly 89% of recyclables. Plastics (PET, HDPE) and metals accounted for smaller shares. No film, office pack, or plastics #3–#7 were recovered.
• Manager Meyer noted that Los Alamos’ contamination rate of ~17.7% is well below the facility’s typical 30–34% seen from other communities.
• Board members asked about:
  • Costs associated with contamination (processing, labor, landfill tipping fees).
  • Plastic bag contamination – Paul Rougemont stated that about 80% of residual across all streams is single-use plastic bags, causing equipment jams and costly downtime.
  • The feasibility of glass recycling – Manager Meyer indicated he plans to visit a Colorado facility in February/March to explore options.
  • Whether plastics #3–#7 are accepted – Yes, with exceptions for polystyrene and PVC pipes. PET (1), HDPE (2), and PP (5) are most common.
  • Enforcement mechanisms – Some communities use cameras and curbside non-collection; Albuquerque briefly tried enforcement but contamination rose after it stopped.
• Recommendations: Conduct audits regularly (suggested annually or semi-annually), enhance signage and education, consider dedicated bins for plastics, and explore separate collection for film.

2. Review and Approval of 2026 ESB Work Plan

• Chair Shannon Blair presented the draft, noting minor formatting issues and a truncated line in section 1.3.1 ("environmental initiatives") that required correction.
• The board reviewed Attachment A (council strategic priorities) and voted to include several items (e.g., infrastructure asset management, mobility, open space, and environmental stewardship) but declined others (e.g., housing provision, public safety as separate category).
• The work plan was approved as amended and will be forwarded to County Council.

3. Election of ESB Chair and Vice-Chair

• All five present members were nominated for Chair. After declines from Shannon Blair, Sue Barns, Erik Loechell, and Joseph Chandler (who joined via Zoom), David Hampton accepted and was elected unanimously.
• For Vice-Chair, Erik Loechell was the only member to accept and was elected unanimously.
• The elections are effective for the 2026 calendar year.

4. Reports from Liaisons and Working Groups

• Chair’s Report: Two vacancies remain; a strong candidate is expected to go to Council for appointment at month’s end.
• Board of Public Utilities (Sue Barns):
  • White Rock transformer replacement is underway with higher capacity to support electrification.
  • Foxtail Flats solar project full operation pushed back to June 18, 2027; panels and transformers secured.
  • Mutual aid agreement with PNM for outage support.
  • Geothermal projects on hold due to transmission holdups; Fenton Hill site being discussed with LANL.
  • Public Information Officer Julie Williams Hill retiring; replaced by Dave Krueger.
  • BPU plans to discuss balcony solar installation.
• County Council Liaison (Ryn Herrmann):
  • Work session covered: Regional Development Corporation grants, North Mesa Recreation Master Plan (~$13M, phased), Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA) districts, and a presentation from Mozart DevCo on a waste-to-energy plant.
  • Herrmann suggested Mozart could present to ESB in the future; board expressed interest.
  • Council will conduct a community survey this year.
• Los Alamos Sustainability Alliance (Sue Barns):
  • Cooling kits being assembled; work party on February 10.
  • Jemez Mountain Trail Run (May 9) seeking volunteers for zero-waste stations.
  • Green LA Certification program approved and launching.
  • Gaia’s Pantry expanding, working with China Palace to rescue food.
  • Tree recycling ongoing; energy efficiency kits updated; library of things adding new items.
• Education & Outreach Working Group: Consulting firm Firebrand is developing taglines and will conduct focus groups in late February.
• Community-Wide EV Study Working Group: Final plan incorporating public and board comments will be presented to ESB in February.

5. Staff Report (Sustainability Manager Angelica Gurule)

• December newsletter focused on draft fleet conversion/EV charging plans; subscribers grew from 120 to 125.
• Six Level 2 EV chargers installed at Municipal Building; previously free chargers removed.
• NMDOT grant for DC fast chargers at Mesa Public Library (two 150 kW ports); design work underway.
• Final Fleet Conversion Plan and Community-Wide EV Charging Plan to be presented at the February 19 ESB meeting.
• December diversion rate: 21%. Trash shipped to Valencia Landfill (Mon–Fri) and Bernalillo (Sat–Sun).
• Food composting program on hold due to logistics.

Key Outcomes

• Approved: Agenda (as amended), December 2025 minutes, 2026 ESB meeting schedule, and 2026 ESB work plan (as amended).
• Elected: David Hampton as Chair and Erik Loechell as Vice-Chair for 2026.
• Directives:
  • Staff to correct formatting issues in the work plan before forwarding to Council.
  • Staff to coordinate a possible presentation from Mozart DevCo on waste-to-energy in a future meeting (likely March).
  • Board members encouraged to help recruit new members and promote sustainability events (e.g., Jemez Mountain Trail Run volunteering).
• Next Steps:
  • Final fleet/EV charging plan presentation at February 19, 2026 meeting.
  • Firebrand focus groups and messaging testing in February.
  • Recycling audit discussion to continue; staff may explore regular annual audits.
  • Council appointment of a new board member expected by end of January.

Meeting adjourned.