NEWS RELEASE
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
Contact: Judy Hammond, Director of Public Affairs, (213) 974-1363
Brian Lew, Assistant Director, (213) 974-1652
Ruth Wong, Green Leadership Awards Project Chair
(213) 974-1361
April 14, 2009
County Presents First Green Leadership Awards
Board of Supervisors Recognizes Outstanding
“Greening Our Environment” Projects
The County Board of Supervisors on April 21 will recognize five community groups selected as recipients of the first annual Green Leadership Awards.
The County created the program in 2008 to recognize outstanding energy conservation and environmental efforts made by individuals, public agencies, businesses and nonprofit organizations.
The Green Leadership Awards will be presented at 10 a.m. during the Board of Supervisors regular meeting at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in Los Angeles.
The five recipients are: Interior Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling Project, Interior Removal Specialist, Inc., South Gate; Planet Pals, Grand View Elementary School, Manhattan Beach; Citizens for a Cleaner City, Old Torrance Neighborhood Association, Torrance; City of Monrovia Environmental Accords, City of Monrovia; and On-Line Green Training, Planning and Development Department, City of Pasadena.
Board Chairman Don Knabe said the projects benefit the residents of Los Angeles County by creating opportunities to inspire other organizations to adopt the best “green” practices in their communities.
The County program is important, he said, because it helps promote environmental awareness and responsibility for the sustainability of communities, and enhances the County’s role as a leader by honoring local outstanding environmental programs.
--more—
The five award-winners were selected for the following accomplishments:
Interior Removal Specialist, Inc., South Gate
Interior Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling Project
Interior Removal Specialist is the leader in Los Angeles County in diverting and recycling materials such as drywall, carpet, ceiling tile and manufactured lumber. Its 80% diversion efforts extend the life of existing landfills and reduce the environmental impact of construction and demolition debris. Additionally, the donations made by recycling furniture and other materials reintroduce nearly 100 tons of materials back to the community.
Grand View Elementary School, Manhattan Beach
Planet Pals Project – Trash Free Tuesdays
Students at Grand View Elementary School bring their lunches to school in reusable trash-free lunchboxes each Tuesday. This, as well as composting and recycling measures, enabled the school to generate a record low of one-half bag of trash for more than 700 students, opposed to 40 bags previously. Grand View has diverted more than 1,500 large bags of trash from landfills. This program has been rolled out to seven other elementary schools, reaching 8,500 kids.
Old Torrance Neighborhood Association, Torrance
Citizens for a Cleaner City Project
Residents of Torrance accepted the mayor’s challenge to contribute to a safe, clean and well-maintained city. Volunteers from age 6 to 85 began a bi-monthly Saturday clean-up day concentrating on the highest payoff areas, such as entrance and exit areas to the city. Since 2006 they have removed more than two tons of trash and debris and recycled items like aluminum cans. The cost benefit to the city is evident by the number of volunteer hours donated, freeing city employees to take on other essential services. This is a model program for other cities.
City of Monrovia Environmental Accords
The City of Monrovia created a “Green Team” responsible for implementing green projects and policies. In less than two years, the city reduced lighting energy consumption by 20% by replacing regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps. The city installed cool roofs at their historic museum and the police department, reducing air pollution and smog formation. Installation of 22 waterless urinals in city facilities led to an annual savings of 888,000 gallons of water. The newly built energy-efficient library provides an improved working environment for library patrons and staff and sets the precedent for future construction trends.
City of Pasadena On-Line Green Training project
Through an interactive, Internet-based design, Pasadena’s 1,880 full-time employees receive training on the Green City Action Plan while receiving inspirational and practical tips for going “green” at work and at home. The city benefits from having a workforce educated and engaged in environmental stewardship. Visitors who complete the green training gain knowledge about available local resources, services and rebates that will help them reduce their utility bills, eliminate waste, and cut their transportation costs.
-lacounty.gov-
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment