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Environmental Sustainability Board approves 2025 work plan; council asks board to evaluate single-use plastic bags
Summary
The Los Alamos Environmental Sustainability Board approved its 2025 work plan on Jan. 16 and accepted council-directed assignments including an evaluation of single-use plastic bags, food-composting support and studies for EV fleet conversion and community electrification.
The Los Alamos Environmental Sustainability Board approved its 2025 work plan as amended on Jan. 16 and accepted a council request to evaluate single-use plastic bags, including recyclability, alternatives and county recycling costs.
Board members said the year’s priorities will focus on climate action plan implementation, education and outreach, and several council-directed studies. Angelica, a county staff member who presented the draft plan, told the board that the County Council asked the board “to evaluate single use plastic bags to include factors such as ability to recycle and other alternatives and cost to the county to recycle and engagement to include local businesses and other interested parties.”
Why it matters: Council assigned the board several items the board must complete in 2025, increasing the workload and prompting members to recommend focused work and collaboration with other county boards and departments. Members repeatedly urged concentrating on Climate Action Plan implementation and on steering county-funded studies so the board can show results by year-end.
Board members discussed moving some tasks to other boards where those issues fall more directly under another body’s purview — for example, Jesse Derringer said energy-audit solicitation might better fit the Board of Public Utilities’ work — while agreeing to serve on steering committees for several council-funded studies. Angelica said council has approved budget options to support a municipal food-composting program, climate action plan implementation, education and outreach and a fleet conversion study, and that staff will solicit qualified contractors for some studies.
The board also revised the work plan to call out coordination with specific bodies — for example, collaborating with the Board of Public Utilities and the Transportation Board on electric-vehicle infrastructure and with Environmental Services on food-waste diversion.
Quotes: Shannon, an Environmental Sustainability Board member and the board’s newly elected chair, said of the role: “I did serve as chair before Joe, just so everyone knows. So I do I do know what I'm doing a little bit.” Angelica added that the board’s EV work will include both a study component and a separate infrastructure piece and encouraged board members to volunteer for steering committees.
What’s next: The board approved the amended work plan and agreed to provide a timeline and calendar of events and to stand up working groups for education/outreach and for the council-assigned single-use-bag evaluation. Angelica said staff will circulate scopes for the studies and a poll to gauge member interest in working groups.
