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Save Water, Energy, Money and the Environment

Volume 11, Number 7

July 2015 
IN THIS ISSUE...
Calling Volunteers!
Energy Upgrade CA
Home Upgrade
SCG
SCE
Sanitation Districts
West Basin
City of Torrance
L.A. Metro
Staff Spotlight
Legislation Corner
South Bay in the News
July 2015 Events & Workshops
A Worthy Read
Interesting Domestic and International Articles Discussing the Environment, Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation






Upcoming HHW/E-Waste Collection Events




CALLING VOLUNTEERS!

There has never been a better time to help out and be recognized.  

Check out our volunteer program and learn how to get involved.   
You can make a huge difference! 
 

 Visit Our Cities


Carson
El Segundo
Gardena
Hawthorne
Hermosa Beach
Inglewood
Lawndale  
Lomita
Manhattan Beach
Palos Verdes Estates
Rancho Palos Verdes
Redondo Beach
Rolling Hills
Rolling Hills Estates
Torrance

Residents in San Pedro, Harbor City /Harbor Gateway & Wilmington
County Unincorporated Areas in South Bay

2015 REBATE INFORMATION 

  

Southern California Gas Company  

 

Southern California Edison

 

West Basin Municipal Water District  

 

 En Espaņol

 

Southern California Gas Company


Southern California Edison

 

Sanitation Districts of LA County


Metro - "El Pasajero"

 

 

 

Find us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterView our profile on LinkedIn

 

 

www.sbesc.com 

  
To read the South Bay Cities Council of Governments' latest edition of its newsletter, 
South Bay Watch,
click here

Where Does Your City Rank in the 

SCE Energy Leader Partnership Program?

 

Platinum Tier
20% Energy Reduction 
City of Lawndale
City of Lomita
City of Manhattan Beach

 

Gold Tier
10% Energy Reduction 
City of Carson
City of El Segundo
City of Hawthorne
City of Inglewood

City of Rancho Palos Verdes


 

Silver Tier
5% Energy Reduction 
City of Hermosa Beach
City of Redondo Beach
City of Torrance 
 
Valued Level
City of Gardena
City of Palos Verdes Estates
City of Rolling Hills
City of Rolling Hills Estates

Did You Know?

$150 billion lost every year to power outages and blackouts in the U.S.

- Environmental Defense Fund

Message From the Executive Director of SBCCOG

 

We are very excited to announce the launch of the South Bay Cities Green Building Challenge program. This is a competition designed to help businesses reduce energy, water, and waste - while improving quality of life and making our community more attractive to work, live, and play in.

 

The Green Building Challenge is a tested and successful online competition for businesses and buildings, designed to drive efficiency improvements and provide recognition opportunities. The South Bay Cities Challenge will be the first in Southern California.

 

The goal of the Challenge is to accelerate adoption of sustainability initiatives by directly engaging property managers and business tenants to take action on sustainable activities to achieve measurable results. The Challenge will leverage technology, relationships, and focused marketing to engage approximately 225 office, retail, and healthcare and hospitality properties, and will take place from September 2015 to August 2016.

 

Our platform is open to all businesses, building owners, and managers in the South Bay area. To get started, simply create a free account and enroll in the Challenge program.  Also, please let us know of any businesses and building owners that you know who might like more information.

 

It's going to be a fun and unique way to promote sustainability in the commercial sector, while providing visibility to South Bay business leaders.

 

Jacki Bacharach


 
Energy Upgrade California
Avoid the Bear Stare By Saving Water and Energy

The Bear Stare, it's what many Californians do when they see someone wasting water and energy. But don't stop there. Share tips from the Energy Upgrade California site, and help friends and neighbors play their part to fight the drought. Love to stare? Challenge Bear using your computer's camera! 

Read More

 

Home Upgrade
Home Energy: Did You Know...?
The Envelope, Please

You may remember to close your windows and doors when you turn on the A/C, but that's not always enough. Poorly sealed spaces around window and door frames can leak just as much as an open window.

Home improvement professionals call the outer shell of your home the "envelope." A tight, non-leaky home envelope creates a more energy efficient, healthy, and comfortable home for you.

Want to find out how to seal up your home's envelope for savings and comfort? The Home Upgrade rebate program can help you save on green upgrades, and guide you to a Participating Contractor. Visit The Energy Network's website at http://tenres.com/homeupgrade to learn more.

 

Southern California Gas CompanyThe Gas Company

Upcoming Seminar Schedule

  

Learn more about matters concerning sustainability, HVAC and industrial equipment at SoCalGas seminars, hosted at their various locally-based locations. 

Read More

 

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Southern California EdisonSCE  

Hidden Electrical Dangers Can Make for Troubled Waters

 

As a pool and Jacuzzi owner, as well as a licensed electrician, Mark Chapman says the most common problem he sees is old equipment, which can lead to the two biggest electrical hazards inside a pool: faulty underwater lights and their wiring. This is where inspection comes in.

Read More

 

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Sanitation Districts of LA County

Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County

Public Tour of Joint Water Pollution Control Plant on August 1st

  

Have you ever wondered what happens to your waste? Find out on this tour of Sanitation District's largest wastewater treatment facility, the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant, located in Carson. The tour is free and open to ages 10 and up.
Read More 

 

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West Basin Municipal Water DWest Basinistrict 
Board of Directors Vote to Begin Ocean-Water Desalination Environmental Impact Report

 

As California faces its most severe drought in recorded history, the West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) Board of Directors recently took action and voted to begin an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) as part of its research to build a full-scale ocean-water desalination facility in the South Bay. By initiating the EIR, West Basin will evaluate all environmental impacts associated with building and operating a 20 million gallon per day (MGD) and a 60 MGD ocean-water desalination facility.
  
City of Torrance 
City of Torrance

Rain Barrel Giveaway Success

 

Back in June, the City of Torrance hosted its first free "Rain Barrel Giveaway" at West High School for local residents. Supply was exhausted in only a few hours with 500 rain barrels distributed. With growing concern over the drought and increased initiative to save water, Torrance residents showed up in large numbers, ensuring the program's resounding success. The City hopes to resume the program in the future and continue to engage its residents with more water conservation programs. 

In the meantime, all Southern California residents can apply for a rebate for rain barrel purchase (as well as for other water conservation products) on Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's website: www.socalwatersmart.com. 
L.A. Metro
Building a Greener, Cleaner L.A.

 

Every time you Go Metro, you help reduce air pollution. See how Metro is lowering its emissions and working to improve mobility in LA County. 

Read More

 

Learn more about Metro's Vanpool and ExpressLanes programs.

 

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Staff Spotlight 
Renee Daigneault 

 

Renee joined the SBCCOG last month, leading the launch of the  South Bay Cities Green Building Challenge. In her prior work, she served as the Interim Executive Director of the U.S. Green Building Council - San Diego Chapter, a non-profit providing education, outreach and advocacy surrounding green building. She holds an MBA from the University of San Diego, a Bachelors degree in Psychology, and is a LEED Green Associate. 

 

Through the Green Building Challenge, she looks forward to working with the South Bay business community to increase sustainability in the built environment while improving the quality of life in the region. 

 

Legislation Corner 

SB 485 (Hernandez) County of Los Angeles: Sanitation Districts 

This bill authorizes specified sanitation district in LA County to acquire, construct, operate, maintain, and furnish facilities for the diversion, management, and treatment of stormwater and dry weather runoff, the discharge of the water to the stormwater drainage system and the beneficial use of the water. Would provide cost-effective flexibility to achieve compliance with municipal stormwater requirements through collaboration among existing local agencies in LA County.

Status:
  • Support initiated on 4/23/15 
  • Letter sent to Senate on 5/1/15 & to Assembly Local Government Committee on 6/1/15 
  • Assembly Local Government Committee Hearing Date took place on 7/15/15
South Bay in the News 
Hermosa Beach Tackles Climate Change with a Plan to Go 'Carbon Neutral'

 

Hermosa Beach is instituting a holistic approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions that will change the way the small beach town frames its major planning decisions.

 

While other agencies in the region have come up with a disparate mix of projects, from energy-efficient appliance trade-ins to new bicycle paths, Hermosa Beach has gone its own way - recently producing a computer application that can detail the city's energy output down to the carbon emissions expended to produce and deliver its pens.

Read More

 

Lawndale City Council Chooses New Storm Water Management Program Consultant 

 

The Lawndale City Council met on Monday, July 20. An important contract decision to choose the consultant for the Storm Water Management Program and the National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, which requires compliance with certain standards set forth by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board), and the State, for protection of water quality. The NPDES MS4 permit compliance requires a city submit their individual plan to both boards for approval. This
new contract is for three years, which began on July 1 and extends until June 30, 2018.

Read More

 

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July 2015 Events & Workshops 
Click Here to See a List of Upcoming Workshops & Events