Fermilab goes greener with leaf-based fertilizer

Leaves from neighboring municipalities are deposited at a leaf collection site (above) near Site 70 where they are composted for use as fertilizer by farms on site.

Even as spring approaches, there's a touch of autumn in the air at Fermilab.

It comes in the form of leaves turned organic fertilizer, and farmer Bruce Nagel will soon begin spreading it over land at Fermilab.

The informal leaf spreading program is one Fermilab's most environmentally friendly projects.

"It's just like putting compost on your garden. It's a non-chemical way to add nutrients to soil," said Fermilab ecologist Rod Walton.

The decomposed leaves add carbon to the soil. This helps to loosen the soil, allowing roots to grow more easily. Carbon also increases the soil's ability to absorb water. The combined effect increases the yield capacity of Fermilab's 2,000 tillable acres where corn and soybeans are grown, Walton explained.

The leaf spreading program, which started four years ago, uses leaves from the nearby communities of Batavia, Batavia Township, Warrenville and North Aurora, said Mike Becker, Fermilab Site Services Assistant Manager.

The towns pay less to bring them to Fermilab than they would pay to take them to a dump.

"It's a win-win situation," Becker said. "The towns are saving money. We are making more money, and the farmers are making more money. And it's good for the soil."

-- Kristine Crane

Tornado siren maintenance today

Today, a contractor will perform maintenance on all outdoor sirens at Fermilab, starting around 9 a.m. As part of the maintenance, each siren will be tested individually, sounding it for 10-20 seconds. Then, all sirens will be tested simultaneously on Tuesday, March 3, at 10 a.m. If you have questions, please contact Bill James, x8901.

Obama administration releases FY2010 budget overview

From AIP FYI, Feb. 27, 2009

"Investments in science and technology foster economic growth, create millions of high-tech, high-wage jobs that allow American workers to lead the global economy, improve the quality of life for all Americans, and strengthen our national security." - "A New Era of Responsibility: Renewing America's Promise"

Yesterday President Barack Obama released a 142-page document overview of his FY 2010 budget request. While the details on this $3.6 trillion request will not be available until April, a review of "A New Era of Responsibility: Renewing America's Promise" finds many references to science. Those numbers which were provided in the overview point to a strong request for many science programs.

This FYI excerpts selections from the overview and provides citations to specific pages with other material. The entire document may be read at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/ under FY 2010 Budget; read the full budget.

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The latest from the LHC

From CERN Bulletin, Feb. 27, 2009

In SM18 six magnets have been cold tested with good results. It has also been a good week for cyostating with five more magnets completed.

In sector 3-4 interconnection work and welding has started in the area damaged on 19 September last year. Interconnection work is also ongoing on the replacement magnet for the faulty dipole removed from sector 1-2.

Three separate teams are now working in the three sectors to install the new DN200 pressure release nozzles. In total 27 magnets have been completed so far, with 34 nozzles welded. A new study is also underway to include a similar pressure release system for both the stand-alone magnets (SAMs) and the triplet magnets.

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