SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico environmental regulators on Thursday finalized a 10-year permit extension at the nation’s only underground nuclear waste repository that they say will increase oversight and safeguards while prioritizing the cleanup of Cold War-era waste at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The state Environment Department said the permit goes into effect on Nov. 3, following a nine-month public comment period.
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in southeastern New Mexico plays a key role in the nation’s multibillion-dollar effort to clean up radioactive waste left behind by decades of nuclear research and bomb-making. It has been licensed previously to take what is known as transuranic waste, or waste generated by the nation’s nuclear weapons program that is contaminated with radioactive elements heavier than uranium.
“The new permit will benefit New Mexico and legacy waste clean-up from around the U.S. for years to come,” New Mexico Environment Department Secretary James Kenney said in a statement.
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The new permit incorporates terms of a June settlement with the U.S. Department of Energy.
The state first outlined its terms in December, seeking to ensure that high-level waste such as diluted plutonium wouldn’t find its way to the state.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Christian Cook had 19 points in New Mexico State’s 78-48 win against Louisiana Tech on Saturday night.
Cook shot 7 for 11, including 5 for 6 from beyond the arc for the Aggies (9-6, 2-0 Conference USA). Robert Carpenter scored 16 points and added six rebounds. Peter Filipovity shot 5 of 9 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 15 points, while adding eight rebounds.
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The Bulldogs (11-4, 0-2) were led by Sean Elkinton, who posted 12 points. Amaree Abram added 10 points for Louisiana Tech.
New Mexico State took the lead with 13:31 left in the first half and did not relinquish it. Carpenter led his team in scoring with 14 points in the first half to help put them up 44-19 at the break. New Mexico State pulled away with an 8-0 run in the second half to extend a 24-point lead to 32 points.
New Mexico State’s next game is Saturday against UTEP on the road, and Louisiana Tech hosts Florida International on Thursday.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The house made famous by the “Breaking Bad” TV series is up for sale, and the owners of the otherwise unassuming home in one of Albuquerque’s older neighborhoods are hoping the property’s role in the long-running series will help them fetch a pretty penny.
Centered on mythical methamphetamine cookers Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, the series wrapped up more than a decade ago, but its legacy continues to draw looky-loos to the home and other associated filming spots around town.
New Mexico’s governor also recently tapped the Walter White character, played by Bryan Cranston, to star in a campaign against littering in New Mexico.
While “Breaking Bad” certainly has left its mark on New Mexico and this quiet block in Albuquerque, the listing is sure to reignite interest.
FILE – Poles for a new fence stand outside the house used in the AMC-TV series “Breaking Bad” in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017.
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Russell Contreras / AP
Time to move on
Fans often flock to the home, sometimes with hundreds of cars driving by in a single day, Joanne Quintana told Albuquerque television station KOB-TV.
Quintana said her parents purchased the home in the 1970s and that she and her siblings grew up there. As her parents got older and the show’s popularity skyrocketed, it became harder to protect them. The family was forced to put up a metal fence and install security cameras to keep fans at bay.
Now that her parents are gone, it’s time to sell.
“This was our family home from 1973, almost 52 years,” she told the station. “So we’re going to walk away with just our memories. It’s time to move on. We’re done. There’s no reason to fight anymore.”
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Hollywood magic
It was 2006 when a film scout first approached Quintana’s mother about shooting a pilot episode at the home. Within months, the equipment was set up and filming began.
The family got to meet Cranston and the other stars and watched from behind the scenes as crew members worked their magic. Quintana’s mother was always sure to have cookies for the cast and crew.
The inside of the home was used to prep, while interior scenes were shot in a studio.
For the famous pizza scene, Quintana remembers boxes of pizza lining the sidewalk. Plenty of unsliced cheese and pepperoni props were at the ready in case Cranston didn’t nail it on the first try. He did — landing the pizza face-up on the roof after his character’s wife shut the door in his face.
The homeowners had a hard time keeping fans from attempting their own pizza tosses or trying to sneak dips in the iconic backyard pool.
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Priced to sell?
The housing market in New Mexico’s largest city certainly isn’t what it would have been when Walter White was applying for a mortgage, and the price paid by Quintana’s parents five decades ago is unimaginable now. The median price in the Albuquerque area is approaching $400,000, and interest rates are expected to hover around 6% this year.
Some online real estate calculators put the estimated market value of the four-bedroom ranch-style home at just over $340,000. But with the star power of “Breaking Bad” behind it, the global luxury realty service that is listing the home for Quintana and her family has it priced at just under $4 million.
David Christensen with eXp Luxury told The Associated Press on Friday that it’s been a busy day with the listing going live and that investors will be looking at the property. Ideas include turning the home into a vacation rental or a museum.
The listing company has set up a website to showcase the property, billing it as a chance to own a piece of pop culture history.
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