LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — Newport News Nuclear BWXT Los Alamos (N3B) contributed $483,235 to Northern New Mexico community groups and workforce development in 2021.
The milestone marks the third year N3B’s Community Commitment program has donated more than $400,000, following $414,444 in 2019 and $543,000 in 2020.
The amount is based on a commitment made when N3B formed in 2018. At that time, the company decided to donate five percent of annual fees earned each year from its Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management contract to clean up legacy waste at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
“We are proud to support the important work of our community organizations, especially given the added challenges of the pandemic,” N3B President Kim Lebak said.
“Many of these organizations skillfully adjusted to deliver their important services despite social-distancing measures, mask requirements and other limitations due to COVID-19,” Lebak said. “We deeply appreciate their attention to safety, and, as always, we are more than happy to partner with the community.”
Funding targets
A total of $213,235 of the $483,235 disbursement supported about 30 successful grant proposals for organizations across the region. The grants supported numerous focus areas in education, health and human services, and arts and culture. The N3B-supported organizations provided services in Bernalillo, Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos counties. The average grant award was $6,878.
Further, a total of $270,000 supported several students in the Nuclear Operator Apprenticeship Program in collaboration with Northern New Mexico College. This successful workforce program is in its third year and provides jobs with good pay and benefits.
Also, N3B paid membership fees to three local organizations —Española Valley Chamber of Commerce, Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce and Groundworks New Mexico — in support of their emphasis on sustainable development.
Volunteering hours
N3B encourages volunteering. Although the pandemic diminished normal volunteer opportunities due to COVID-19 protocols, N3B employees tallied 1,892 hours serving 19 organizations, mostly in Los Alamos and Santa Fe.
For more information
Highlights and photos about participating organizations, as well as other detailed information about N3B community contributions, are included in the 2021 Community Commitment Annual Report on the N3B website at http://www.n3b-la.com. The website also includes a listing of the types of activities N3B funds, as well as instructions for submitting requests.
N3B, or Newport News Nuclear BWXT-Los Alamos, addresses environmental impacts from LANL’s Manhattan Project- and Cold War-era operations for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office.
