inside solid wastedpw.lacounty.gov/epd/tf/isw/isw_2011_01.pdf · page 2, inside solid waste,winter...
TRANSCRIPT
LOS ANGELES COUNTYINTERGRATEDWASTE MANAGEMENTTASK FORCE
Single-use plastic carryout bags willsoon be a thing of the past inunincorporated Los Angeles Countyfollowing the Board of Supervisors'recent decision to ban the bags at allsupe rmarke t s , g roce ry s to res ,convenience stores, pharmacies, anddrug stores.
LA County Board approves ban on single-use plastic carryout bags
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INSIDE SOLID WASTE
In yet another environmentally-positive move, the Los Angeles CountyBoard of Supervisors has adopted apolicy prohibiting the purchase and useof expanded polystyrene (EPS),commonly known as styrofoam, foodcontainers at County facilities, offices,concessions, and by commercial foodand beverage suppliers at County-permitted events and County-sponsored events.
T h e B o a r d ' s a c t i o n o nSeptember 21, 2010, followedrecommendations contained in a studyconducted by Public Works and theResponsible Purchasing Network(RPN) that outlined ways to cut theCounty's carbon footprint and reducelitter. The study recomended theCounty replace EPS food containerswith reusable containers wherepracticable and recyclable and/orcompostable items in all otherinstances.
Los Angeles Countyprohibits expandedpolystyrene containers at County facilities
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VOLUME 65 | WINTER | 2011
The ban, which takes effect onJuly 1, 2011, at large supermarkets andpharmacies, and at all other stores byJanuary 1, 2012, has been hailed as an"historic achievement" for the Countythat would provide substantialenvironmental improvements for thefuture.
The Board also voted to ban the use ofsingle-use plastic bags at Countyfacilities and offices, County-managedconcessions, and by commercial foodand beverage suppliers atCounty-permitted events andCounty-sponsored events. In addition,stores that provide single-userecyclable paper carryout bags will berequired to charge ten cents per bag.
The Board also directed that reusablebags must comply with all state andfederal restrictions on permissiblelevels of lead and other materials,including cadmium.
The ban follows the completion of anEnvironmental Impact Report (EIR)conducted earlier this year to assess theenvironmental effects of adopting aplastic bag ban. The EIR concludedthat imposing a ban on plastic carryoutbags would substantially reduce litter,protect wildlife and marine habitat, andimprove quality of life throughout LosAngeles County.
County Public Works Deputy Director,Massood Eftekhari, said that with the
BEAUTY AND THE BEASTS…Dueto their light weight, EPS containersoften end up polluting rivers and creeksand endangering wildlife.
BAG ON THE RUN…The bagmonster flees for its life after anordinance banning single use plasticcarryout bags at all supermarkets,grocery stores, and convenience storesin unincorporated Los Angeles Countyis approved.
Page 2, Inside Solid Waste,Winter 2011
HHW ROUNDUPS are open on Saturdays.
Jan 8 El Monte - El Monte Airport4233 North Santa Anita Avenue
Jan 15 Bell Gardens - John Anson Ford ParkSwimming Pool Parking Lot, 7800 block of Scout Avenue
Jan 22 Hermosa Beach - Clark Stadium, Valley Drive between 8th & 11th Streets
Jan 29 Santa Fe Springs - Rio Hondo College Fire Training Academy, 11400 Greenstone Avenue
Feb 5 Claremont Corporate Yard - Claremont Corporate Yard, 1616 Monte Vista Avenue
Feb 12 Hawthorne - Betty Ainsworth Sports CenterEl Segundo Boulevard & Doty Avenue
Feb 19 Diamond Bar - City Streets Gateway Corporate Center, 1300 block of Bridge Gate Drive
Mar 5 Monrovia - Myrtle Avenue Park and Ride Lot Corner of South Myrtle Avenue and Pomona Avenue
Mar 12 Pico Rivera - Southern California Gas Company8101 Rosemead Boulevard
April 30 Santa Clarita - College of the CanyonsSouth Parking Lot, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road
June 12 Calabasas Landfill - Calabasas Landfill (Scale Area)5300 Lost Hills Road
PERMANENT COLLECTION CENTERS are open onSaturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Gaffey Street Collection Center1400 N. Gaffey StreetSan Pedro, CA 90731
Hyperion Treatment Plant7660 W. Imperial Highway., Gate BPlaya Del Rey, CA 90293
Washington Boulevard Collection Center2649 E. Washington BoulevardLos Angeles, CA 90021Randall Street S.A.F.E. Center11025 Randall StreetSun Valley, CA 91352
UCLA Location (E-waste acceped on Saturday only)550 Charles E. Young Drive West Los Angeles, CA 90095Open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.Note: Services suspended during rainy weather.
Los Angeles/Glendale Collection Center4600 Colorado BoulevardLos Angeles, CA 90039
Antelope Valley Environmental Collection CenterAntelope Valley Public Landfill1200 West City Ranch RoadPalmdale, CA 93551Open 1st and 3rd Saturday each month 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Task Force MeetingsMeetings are held at the County Public Works Headquarters, 900 South Fremont Ave., Alhambra. February 17 | March 17 | April 21
For information, call Tranette Sanders at 626-458-3562, M -Th, 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
HHW ROUNDUPS are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. unless otherwise indicated. For more information, call County Public Works at1 (888) CLEAN-LA (253-2652). For information about City of Los Angeles events, call 1 (800) 98-TOXIC (988-6942).
CALENDAR OF EVENTS INSIDE SOLID WASTE CALENDAR OF EVENTS
INSIDE SOLID WASTE NEWSLETTERTask Force PE & I Subcommittee Chair - Mike Mohajer • Editor - Gary Boze • Writer - Suk Chong • Production Coordinator -Dena Venegas • Graphic Designer - James Johnson
JOIN THE TEAM: If you are interested in participating on the Los Angeles County Solid Waste Management Public Education Subcommitteeor if you would like to submit an article for Inside Solid Waste, please contact Gary Boze at 213-703-6483, ([email protected].), or DenaVenegas at 626-458-3543, ([email protected].). Quarterly meetings are held at the County Public Works Headquarters to discuss andreview upcoming newsletters. If you want to be involved or to contribute, please join the Subcommittee!
Visit www.lacountyiswmtf.org where you can find agendas, meeting minutes, and copies of the Inside Solid Waste newsletter.
Page 3, Inside Solid Waste,Winter 2011
CalRecycle has postponed a decision to implement aproposed new Closure, Postclosure Maintenance, CorrectiveAction, and Financial Assurance fee on landfills.
The postponement follows a recent public workshop on theproposal and a subsequent letter from the County’sIntegrated Waste Management Task Force expressingconcern about the fee.
According to CalRecycle, the proposed fee is necessary dueto a revenue decline in the Integrated Waste ManagementAccount (IWMA) of nearly 30% since fiscal year 2005/06 aswell as increased costs in implementing the recently revisedlong-term postclosure maintenance, corrective action, andfinancial assurance regulations.
The fee would be used to recover costs for reviewing closureand postclosure maintenance plans and financial assurancesubmittals, and implementing any associated requirements,
which are projected to total about $3 million per year. It would apply to 288 landfill sites that were operating on orafter January 1, 1988. The amount would be based on thelandfills’ airspace capacity. For example, the largest landfillswould contribute approximately 2.5 times more than thesmallest landfills.
In a letter to CalRecycle, dated November 10, 2010, the TaskForce expressed its concern that the imposition of the fee tofulfill a purpose that has already been prescribed and forwhich funding is already provided through existing laws andregulations was not justifiable.
The Task Force stated the IWMA was specificallyestablished for CalRecycle to recover any costs incurredfrom carrying out the duties relating to closure, postclosuremaintenance, corrective action, and financial assuranceregulations. The Task Force said it believes it is importantfor CalRecycle to disclose how the IWMA is currentlyallocated among CalRecycle's activities and programs andrequested this information be provided at a public workshop.
Landfill operators also voiced concerns over what they sawas as an over-simplistic fee estimate method and lack ofdifferentiation for closed and active landfills.
CalRecycle has postponed the rulemaking in order to reviewthe considerable number of comments it received on theproposal.
For a copy of the proposed Fee, visitwww.calrecycle.ca.gov/Laws/Rulemaking/ClosureFee/default.htm.For more information, please contact Linda Lee, County ofLos Angeles Department of Public Works, at (626) 458-6973, Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.,[email protected], or Mike Mohajer of the Task Forceat (909) 592-1147.
CalRecycle postpones decision to implement land�ll regulatory fee
ISW Going PaperlessIn an effort to reduce disposal of solid waste at landfills and to conserve our precious natural resources, theInside Solid Waster newsletter is going paperless!
This will be the last hard copy. First paperless edition will be Spring 2011.
What do you think are the best paperless ways to distribute the newsletter? Here are some examples:
� Post newsletter on the Los Angeles County Integrated Waste Management Task Force website? � Email it to subscribers?� Enotify subscribers when they can download an ecopy?� All of the above
Please email your comments or ideas to Dena Venegas at [email protected] by February 10, 2011.
Page 3, Inside Solid Waste,Winter 2011
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Ban on plastic bags
Page 4, Inside Solid Waste,Winter 2011
Board decision, Los Angeles Countybecame the country's largestmunicipality to enact such legislation,as well as a national leader in themovement to promote the use ofreusable bags.
"Los Angeles County has long been atthe forefront of environmentalprotection, and yet more than sixbillion single-use plastic bags are usedeach year in LA County alone,"Eftekhari said. "We spend over $18million annually to clean up andprevent the litter and environmentalhazards it creates. Plastic bags generatea substantially disproportionatepercentage of that litter."
"The ban will ensure that our missionto preserve natural resources, reducelitter and protect our beaches andwaterways for our ten million residentswill continue to be met," he added.
Advocates of a single-use plastic bagban include municipalities, businessorganizations and environmentalgroups. Following the Board's adoptionof the EIR, it is now expected thatseveral LA County municipalities willimplement similar bans.
In April 2007, the Board unanimouslyadopted a resolution instructing theChief Executive Office and the PublicWorks and Internal ServicesDepartments to investigate plastic andpaper bag consumption in the Countyand the possible development of apolicy similar to that of San Francisco.
In response to this action, a Countyworking group comprisingrepresentatives of the CEO, PublicWorks, Internal Services, PublicHealth, and County SanitationDistricts, as well as key stakeholders,including large supermarkets and retailstores, the plastic bag industry,environmental organizations andrecyclers, developed a number ofalternatives for the Board'sconsideration.
The following year, the Board adopteda voluntary program to encourageconsumers to switch from single-useplastic bags to reusable bags. Althoughthe program, which included the 'BragAbout Your Bag' campaign, wassuccessful in raising public awarenessabout the importance of switching toreusable bags, it was not enough tosignificantly reduce plastic bag usageand lessen the negative environmentaleffects of plastic bags.
Following the recent adoption of thenew ordinance, County Public Worksmoved swiftly to create a website,www.aboutthebag.com, to educateCounty residents about the ban andshow civic leaders in othercommunities how to develop their ownban ordinances.
Public Works has also partnered withthe LA County Library to make freereusable bags available to Countyresidents through promotions at branchlibraries and the summer readingprogram.
Public Works has already given awaymore than 60,000 reusable bags andwill make an additional 40,000 bagsavailable free to residents throughvarious County-sponsored events overthe next six months.
For more information on the ban, visitwww.aboutthebag.com.
Rancho Palos Verdessolid waste collectionprogram update
On July 1, 2010, the City of RanchoPalos Verdes made several majorchanges to its residential solid wastecollection program. The changesincluded:
• A switch from twice a week trashcollection to once a week trashcollection.
• A switch from manual collection toautomated collection of trash,recycling, and green waste.
• RPV changed its rate structurefrom a fixed monthly trash rate, toa variable monthly rate based onthe size of the trash cart.
• RPV customers now have thechoice of three cart sizes for trash,recycling, and green waste.
• Based on a competitive proposalprocess, RPV customers replacedWa s t e M a n a g em e n t o fLos Angeles with EDCO DisposalCorporation.
Through RPV staff and EDCO'shard work and planning, thetransition was very smooth.
In a sign of cooperation, EDCO andWaste Management collaborated incollecting the old, unwanted manualcans. During 2 weekends, 69 loadsequaling 295,800 pounds of old,unwanted containers were collectedand recycled. RPV customers nowhave automated trash, recycling, andgreen waste carts.
Customers still have the option ofkeeping some of their old manualcans for use during the free City-wide brush clearing events that areoffered by EDCO.
For more information, contactLauren Ramezani, SeniorAdministrative Analyst [email protected], or 310-544-5245.
The litter includes a disproportionatenumber of EPS food containers that aretypically white, highly visible andhighly buoyant. The containers areoften seen floating in gutters, rivers andcreeks following rain events.
RPN surveyed County departments ontheir consumption of EPS containers,conducted lifecycle assessments thatcompared environmental impacts ofEPS and other products, and identifiedpractical, environmentally preferablealternatives to EPS products.
The study found that various Countyoperations spend over half a milliondollars on at least 16 million EPS foodcontainers annually. Based on
these findings, RPN specificallyrecommended that the County and itscontractors:
• Discontinue the purchase and use ofEPS food containers at all Countyoperations.
• Use reusable food containers whenfeasible
• When reusables are not feasible, usefood containers that can be recycledor composted.
RPN identified a host of food containeroptions made from renewableresources like bagasse and otheragricultural waste products, corn-based
Los Angeles County prohibits expanded polystyrene containers at County facilities
continued from page 1
Page 5, Inside Solid Waste,Winter 2011
polylactide plastics, paper, and othermaterials. The Board elected to makeCounty offices the first to act in orderto demonstrate leadership on thissensitive issue. It is estimated thatsuccessful implementation of theinternal policy alone would eliminateover 80 Olympic-size swimming poolsof polystyrene trash every year.
The Board also directed the Director ofPublic Works and County Counsel toreport back within a year ofimplementing the prohibition on EPS atCounty operations, on the feasibility ofimplementing a restriction on the use ofEPS food containers at food serviceestablishments and retail stores in theCounty unincorporated areas. Formore information on CountyEPS reduction efforts, contactSuk Chong at (626) 458-5167 [email protected].
It is with great sadness that we report onthe untimely death of Mr. Steve Uselton,who served as head of CalRecycle'sLocal Assistance Office in Long Beach.
Steve and his 17-year old son Doug werekilled in the early hours of Saturday,December 18, 2010, after their car washit by a suspected drunk driver as theywere on their way to a school speech anddebate tournament.
For the last decade Steve led the LocalAssistance Office staff in providingexcellent service and support tojurisdictions in Los Angeles County.
He was always ready to assist localjurisdictions with submitting theirannual reports to CalRecycle andmaintaining compliance with AB 939.
Mike Mohajer, Los Angeles CountyIntegrated Waste Management TaskForce commissioner, remembers Steveas professional, reliable, andknowledgeable — a gentleman andstatesman.
"Working with Steve for over 15 years, Ifound him to be a great ambassadorrepresenting the former Waste Boardand now CalRecycle in working with 89jurisdictions in Los Angeles County,"Mohajer recalled. "Steve exemplifiedwhat I call a true publicservant…..customer service with a smilewas always his priority. He will be reallymissed."
Steve is survived by his wife Desireeand daughter Erin. Donations for thefamily can be sent through the OxfordAcademy fund:
Oxford Academy Boosters, Inc.Douglas Uselton Memorial Fund5172 Orange AvenueCypress, CA 90630
Condolences can be sent viaCalRecycle's Long Beach office:
Desiree and Erin Useltonc/o CalRecycle Long Beach Office2929 Willow StreetLong Beach, CA 90806
The memorial is scheduled for Tuesday,January 25 at 10 a.m. at:
Christ Church of the Valley1404 West Covina BoulevardSan Dimas, CA 91773(909) 592-2282
The Church is located across the streetfrom San Dimas Hospital and is bestaccessible from Orange Freeway (57)via Covina Boulevard exit,approximately one mile west of thefreeway.
Task Force remembers Steve Uselton
The winter season may now be here,but the City of Santa Clarita hasrecently been busy spring cleaning byhosting a number of clean-up andcollection events, as well as anenvironmental expo.
In October, the City teamed up withthe LA County Sheriff's Departmentto host the Safe & Secure collectionevent at the College of the Canyons.
The event provided Santa Claritaresidents a free opportunity to dropoff personal documents for shredding,electronic-waste for recycling, andmedications for destruction. It alsoserved as a means to educate residentsabout the importance of getting rid ofitems that could put them at risk foridentity theft or place their children atrisk.
More than 400 vehicles passedthrough to drop off approximately7,500 pounds of old tax records, bankstatements, cancelled checks, andother papers for shredding andrecycling. Eleven cases ofmedications were also collected fordestruction by the Sheriff's CentralProperty unit.
Two tractor trailers and a largee-waste truck were packed with over8,000 pounds of electronic-waste,including televisions, monitors,computer processors, and otherdevices. The City plans to host bothevents again in 2011.
In September, the City hosted the 16thannual River Rally Clean Up &Environmental Expo.
This year's clean up location was a 2.5mile stretch of the Santa Clara Riverin the community of Canyon Countrywest of the SR-14 Antelope ValleyFreeway.
Over 1,400 volunteers took part in theevent, collecting about 45,000 poundsof trash and recyclables. This is thelargest amount of trash collected overthe event's 16-year history. Since theevent's beginning, volunteers havecollected more than 339,000 poundsof trash and debris from the SantaClara River and its tributaries.
To cut down on greenhouse gasemissions and maximize the limitedparking space, the City hosted a freebike valet for event participants. Over50 people rode their bikes to the eventand utilized the bike valet.
STROLLING ON THE RIVER…River Rally Clean Up participantspick up trash and recyclables along the 2.5 mile stretch of the SantaClara River.
City of Santa Clarita hosts river clean up & safe collection event
Along with the clean up, the City alsohosted an Environmental Expoattended by more than 20organizations, including the AirQuality Management District,California Native Plant Society, LACounty Department of Public Works,Audubon Society, and the LA CountySanitation District. The organizationscovered topics such as recycling, airquality, wildlife conservation,pollution prevention, and energyconservation. The City plans to hostboth events again in 2011.
If you have any questions regardingthe City of Santa Clarita's Safe andSecure or River Rally event, pleasecontact Mark Patti, ProjectDevelopment Coordinator at (661)286-4098.
Page 6, Inside Solid Waste,Winter 2011
The 2011 Los Angeles County GreenBuilding Standards Code that wasrecently adopted by the Board ofSupervisors became effective onJanuary 1, 2011. It will among otherthings increase the County'sconstruction and demolition (C&D)debris recycling requirements andassist the County in meeting the State’swaste reduction mandates.
The adoption of the Los AngelesCounty Green Building StandardsCode was the result of the State'sadoption of the California BuildingStandard Code in early 2010. Asrequired by the California Health andSafety Code, the County had to adoptan ordinance that imposes the same ormore restrictive building standard asthe State's Green Building StandardCode (GBSC) by end of 2010. TheCounty also chose to amend somestandards to make them morerestrictive due to its unique localclimatic, geological, and topographicalconditions.
The key elements of the County'scurrent C&D Program are revised asfollows:
• All construction work requiring abuilding permit must file aRecycling and Reuse Planregardless of value.
• All non-residential projects mustrecycle at least 65 percent of theconstruction debris.
• All residential projects consistingof four or fewer units must recycleat least 50 percent of theconstruction debris while projectsconsisting of five or more unitsmust recycle at least 65 percent ofthe construction debris.
Since its inception, C&D Program hassuccessfully assisted residents andbusinesses in the Countyunincorporated areas to divertapproximately 566,000tons of constructiondebris that wereotherwise destined for ourlocal landfills.
Since the County of Los AngelesDepartment of Public Works (PublicWorks) is also the BuildingOfficial/City Engineer for 17 cities inLos Angeles County enforcing theCounty Building Code,the new GreenBuilding
New Los Angeles County green building standards code
goes into effectStandards Code is being implementedin the unincorporated area as well as inall the cities where Public Works is thedesignated Building Official/CityEngineer. Additional information onthe Green Building StandardsCode may be viewed athttp://dpw.lacounty.gov/bsd/ or obtainedby contacting Public Works, Buildingand Safety Division at (626) 458-3173.
For additional information on County'sC&D Program, please visithttp://CleanLA.com.
Page 7, Inside Solid Waste,Winter 2011
Page 8, Inside Solid Waste,Winter 2011
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's andPublic Works Departments have joinedforces to enhance disposal opportunitiesfor home-generated sharps waste.
The creative partnership was establishedearlier this year to provide all Countyresidents a more convenient and safermeans to dispose of their used or
unwanted syringes, medical devices andcontrolled substances.
Following the enactment in 2008 of SB1305 that formally prohibited thedisposal of home-generated sharps in thetrash, Public Works established theHome-Generated Sharps WasteManagement Program, which provides
free sharps containers to Countyresidents as well as designated drop-offlocations for sharps waste at clinics andother venues.
In September 2009, the Sheriff'sDepartment expanded sharps collectionunder its Safe Drug Drop-Off Programthat allows residents to safely andanonymously dispose of expired orunused drugs, sharps, waste and othercontrolled substances at local Sheriff’sstations.
Since the establishment of the PublicWorks/Sheriff's partnership, sharpscollection has been expanded to providemore locations, and bigger and saferdrop-off boxes at Sheriff's stations, thusmaking sharps waste management easierand more accessible.
The County of Los Angeles continues tosupport producer responsibility bills toshift the management of home-generated sharps waste tomanufacturers. In the meantime, PublicWorks is continuing to work ondeveloping additional opportunities tomake home-generated sharpsmanagement more convenient forresidents Countywide.
County Public Worksand Sheriff's partnerfor sharps disposal
LASD Safe-Drug Drop-off boxes are available 24-hours a day, seven days a week in front ofthe Los Angeles County Sheriff's patrol stations listed below:
1. Carson Station2. Century Station3. Compton Station4. Crescenta Valley Station5. East Los Angeles Station6. Industry Station7. Lakewood Station8. Lancaster Station9. Lomita Station10. Malibu / Lost Hills Station11. Marina Del Rey Station12. Norwalk Station
13. Palmdale Station14. Pico Rivera Station15. San Dimas Station16. Santa Clarita Valley Station17. Temple Station18. Walnut / Diamond Bar Station19. West Hollywood Station20. South Los Angeles Station
(Replaces Lennox Station)1310 W. Imperial Hwy, Los Angeles 90044
WE LOVE OLDBALD GUYSThe County of Los Angeles invites you to dust off those oldtires sitting in your garage and bring them to a waste tirecollection event. The events offer residents a means to disposeof their waste tires. It also helps mitigate potential threats to theenvironment and public health and safety caused by tires thatare frequently illegally dumped on roadways, in alleys, and insensitive wildlife habitats. Those left near homes, schools, andbusinesses promote breeding of rodents and mosquitoes, whichcould spread the West Nile Virus and other diseases. In ruralareas where tires are sometimes dumped in large piles, the threatof fire increases seriously, especially during drought conditions.
Illegal dumping is particularly acute in the Antelope Valleywhere tires are left on homeowners' property. The Countycontinues to be inundated by tires brought in by residents at itssemi-annual waste tire collection events in the Antelope Valley.
The County of Los Angeles partners with the cities of Lancasterand Palmdale to conduct events in April and October at multipledrop-off sites. April events are held in conjunction with othercleanup projects during the annual Environmental Pride Monthin the region.
The County conducts four other waste tire collection events peryear in the Los Angeles basin. Waste tires collected arerecycled into loose playground fill, civil engineeringapplications, and crumb rubber into making products such asrubberized asphalt. Events are supported by grants fromCalRecycle.
2011 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Glendora – February 19, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., atCitrus College, 1000 W Foothill Boulevard
Antelope Valley – April 30, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. City Yard, 46008 7th Street West Lancaster Youth Library, 38510 Sierra Highway, PalmdaleCounty Yard, 8505 East Avenue T, LittlerockCounty Yard, 4859 West Avenue L-12, Quartz HillCounty Yard, 17341 East Avenue J, Lake Los Angeles
Lynwood – May 21, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., at Open lot on Bellinger Avenue at Butler Street
Cerritos – August (to be determined)
Montebello – September (to be determined)
Antelope Valley – October (to be determined)
For more information, please visit www.CleanLA.com orcontact the Program Manager, Wilson Fong at (626) 458-3581,Environmental Program Division.
Page 9, Inside Solid Waste,Winter 2011
Page 10, Inside Solid Waste,Winter 2011
Free Environmental Workshops
Teacher Professional Development WorkshopsThese workshops offer tools to create a standards-based environmental service learning project(i.e., hosting a campus Electronic-Waste event or starting a campus recycling program); exploreenvironmental issues in Los Angeles County; learn environmental auditing techniques forschools; gain personalized project support; obtain free bus transportation for a project-relatedfield trip; and receive information on community resources.
Saturday, February 5, 20119 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.TreePeople Center for Community Forestry12601 Mulholland DriveBeverly Hills, CA 90210
Water Pollution Prevention Workshop
This workshop will include steps to understand the dynamics of urban watersheds inLos Angeles County; use watershed management techniques to restore the watershed;positively affect water quality in Los Angeles County;prevent water pollution in Los Angeles County; and surveywater flows across the school campus.
Saturday, February 26, 20119 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.TreePeople Center for Community Forestry12601 Mulholland DriveBeverly Hills, CA 90210
continued on page 11
JOIN ONE OF THE FREE WORKSHOPS LISTED BELOW TO GET STARTED.
Calling all teachers, administrators, and non-formal educators!
You are invited to attend free environmental workshops offered by Generation Earth, a Countywideenvironmental education program administered by the Los Angeles County Public WorksDepartment. Workshop participants will receive tools to implement service learning projects oncampus and in the community, and gain ongoing support from experienced Generation Earth staff.
There is no time like the present to take advantage of these resources to help middle and high schoolstudents become environmental stewards and to continue to make a collective environmental impact.
The County Department ofPublic Works (DPW) iscurrently assessing 16 potentialsites for the development ofcommercial conversiontechnology projects.
The sites were submitted by 11stakeholders as part of apreliminary siting assessmentpresented to the Board ofSupervisors on October 20,2010, by DPW.
The assessment, which wascompleted at the Board'srequest, is part of an on-goingeffort to identify feasibleconversion technology projectsites in Los Angeles County.
It is intended to establish abasis for future, more detailedtechnical and environmentalassessments, and will assist inadvancing the development ofan optimal number ofconversion technology projectswithin the County in order tomeet the long-term solid wastemanagement needs of residentsand businesses whilegenerating local renewableenergy, and retaining Countyjobs and economic resources.
The assessment is available fordownload at the web address:www.SoCalConversion.org.
For additional information,please contact Tobie Mitchellof DPW, EnvironmentalPrograms Division [email protected].
County Public WorksAssessing Potential Conversion TechnologyProject Sites
EACH ONE TEACH ONE… Educators Roy Maclean, John Liechty MiddleSchool, (left), Traimy Cannon, Ramona Elementary School (right), sharerecycling ideas with their fellow educators at recent workshop.
Waste Reduction and Recycling WorkshopsThese workshops include steps to educate students to reduce, reuse, recycle oncampus; measure and impact the campus' waste; coordinate and promote asustainable recycling program; collaborate with campus and communitypartners; and participate in the Battle of the Schools Waste ReductionCompetition.
Saturday, January 29, 20119 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Thomas Jefferson High School1319 East 41st StreetLos Angeles, CA 90011
Saturday, March 5, 20119 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Paul Revere Charter Middle School1450 Allenford AvenueLos Angeles, CA 90049
During the 2009-10 school year, approximately 340 teachers from more than 200schools participated in the program, which included implementing 225 servicelearning projects. Will your school be next?
To register for the Generation Earth workshops, please contact Ms. Loyda Ramosof TreePeople at (818) 623-4856 or at [email protected]. For information onthe Generation Earth program, please contact Edna Gandarilla of the County ofLos Angeles Department of Public Works at [email protected], viatelephone at (626) 458-6536, or visit generationearth.com.
continued from page 10
Page 11, Inside Solid Waste,Winter 2011
Huntington Park residents last monthgot the opportunity to learn aboutCalifornia friendly landscaping andwater conservation – en Espanol.More than 30 residents took advantageof the first-ever Spanish-languageworkshop on conservation and watersaving techniques.
Mario Rivas, Recycling Coordinatorfor the City of Huntington Park, saidthe Metropolitan Water District wasencouraged by City staff to provide the
Spanish-language workshop followingrequests from the City's largelySpanish-speaking population.
"Our residents said they wanted tolearn more about conservation andwater saving, but wanted theinstruction in their native language,"Rivas said. "This was a great beginningto outreach in Spanish by havingcertified instructors bring theirknowledge and expertise to thecommunity."
The residents who attended werespecifically interested in learning aboutCalifornia friendly plants andlandscaping.
The workshop was made possiblethrough a partnership between theMetropolitan Water District, CentralBasin Water District, the Los AngelesUnified School District, and the City ofHuntington Park. It was held in theHuntington Park High School Parents'Center.
The City plans to host more Spanish-language workshops in the future,including courses on recycling,composting, and energy savingtechniques.
For more information call Mario Rivas,Recycling Coordinator at (323) 584-6274,or [email protected].
VERDE THUMB…Huntington Parkresidents listen intently as theMetropolitan Water DistrictʼsHernan Quezada explains watersavings techniques for their homesand gardens.
Landscaping & conservation take rootin Huntington Park's first ever Spanish-language workshop
Los Angeles CountySolid Waste Management Committee/Integrated Waste Management Task ForceP.O. Box 1460Alhambra, CA 91802-1460