| Oct. 1, 2008 LOS ANGELES -
Individuals and organizations were recognized for their contributions to
clean air at the 2008 Clean Air Awards presented by the South Coast Air
Quality Management District today at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in
downtown Los Angeles.
The 11:30 a.m. awards luncheon, emceed by KNBC-TV weathercaster Fritz
Coleman, honored seven Clean Air Award recipients for achievement in
technological, transportation, community, public education and environmental
stewardship initiatives. In addition, Dr. Elisa Nicholas, a Long Beach
physician and state Sen. Alex Padilla received awards for their leadership.
“Each of these honorees demonstrated their own clear commitment to
cleaner air and took a step beyond by enabling and inspiring others to do
the same,” said William A. Burke, Ed.D., chairman of AQMD’s Governing Board.
The 2008 Clean Air Awards winners are:
LEADERSHIP IN GOVERNMENT AWARD
State Sen. Alex Padilla has shown strong support for improving air
quality through his work in the Senate Rules Committee. In his first year on
the committee, Sen. Padilla won legislative approval for 15 bills, many of
which focused on environmental and health issues. This year, Sen. Padilla
successfully guided SB 1646 through the Legislature. If approved by the
Governor, SB 1646 will reauthorize AQMD’s highly successful Clean Fuels
Program, which has leveraged $140 million since 1988 with matching funds to
complete projects valued at more than $588 million. Sen. Padilla also has
partnered with AQMD and other stakeholders to address environmental justice
issues and ensure that local businesses and residents have meaningful
engagement in land use decisionmaking.
ROBERT M. ZWEIG, M.D. MEMORIAL AWARD
Dr. Elisa Nicholas was instrumental in establishing the Long Beach
Alliance for Children with Asthma, a grassroots organization that raises
community awareness about children’s asthma. By educating parents and
children on ways to control asthma, the alliance helps reduce emergency room
visits and school absenteeism caused by the disease.
Dr. Nicholas is also the chief executive officer of The Children’s Clinic
and chief of staff at Miller Children’s Hospital, both located in Long
Beach. In 2007, Sen. Alan Lowenthal named Dr. Nicholas the 27th Senate
District’s Woman of the Year, praising her for her energy and focus on
serving the most vulnerable in our community.
ADVANCEMENT OF AIR POLLUTION TECHNOLOGY
Energy Control Systems Engineering (EnergyCS) of Monrovia, with support
from Valence Technologies, pioneered the engineering and development of the
plug-in hybrid-electric Toyota Prius retrofit. This modified vehicle is
designed to achieve more than 100 mpg for the first 50 to 60 miles of a
user’s daily commute.
Other technologies developed by EnergyCS include:
- The Pawn VT battery management system used in Railpower’s diesel
hybrid-electric switcher locomotive;
- The LSV-100 fast charger for neighborhood electric vehicles, such as
those used for shuttle services, parking meter enforcement, and retirement
communities; and
- The ECar/Innovan prototype electric vehicle designed for inner city
delivery and postal service applications.
INNOVATIVE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS
UC Irvine Parking & Transportation Services’ Sustainable Transportation
Program provides the campus community with affordable access to alternative
transportation while reducing congestion and improving air quality. Each
year, the program eliminates more than 39 million vehicle miles and 18,600
tons of greenhouse gas emissions while saving the university more than $21
million.
The 1.87 average vehicle ridership achieved by UCI is one of the highest
for an employer of comparable size in Southern California. Designated as one
of the Best Workplaces for Commuters by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, UCI’s program engages the campus community in efforts to improve and
expand green transportation options, increase awareness of environmental
impacts and encourage greater participation in sustainable transportation
programs.
UC Irvine ZEV·NET, or Zero Emission Vehicle Network Enabled
Transport, is a unique transportation system that couples the benefits of
mass transit with the convenience and flexibility of a personal car.
Designed to provide environmentally sensitive transportation alternatives to
commuters traveling during the day, the program’s use of electric vehicles
equipped with Global Positioning System technology in conjunction with
scheduling software allows vehicles to be efficiently shared among
commuters.
MODEL COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENT (two awards)
The City of Santa Clarita has integrated air quality policy and programs
through a large scope of efforts that include an annual Bike to Work Day,
transit-oriented redevelopment of its Newhall neighborhood, participation in
the Community Energy Partnership and installation of the first public-access
compressed natural gas fueling station in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Santa Clarita also maintains an environmentally
preferable purchasing policy, has been awarded a Tree City USA designation
for 18 consecutive years and advocates for air quality with AQMD. The city’s
approach to public programs has included community members and business
organizations.
The City of Riverside “Grease to Gas to Power”
Project
Nearly 500 restaurants in the City of Riverside are required to have
grease traps in their sewer lines to prevent clogging the city’s sewers.
Disposal of the grease from those tanks has become a problem because it can
no longer be sent to landfills.
As it turns out, grease of this type can be very
effectively treated in the anaerobic digester tanks found in most sewage
treatment plants. In fact, the grease improves the digester’s performance
and increases production of high-quality methane gas, which can be used to
generate electricity and heat at the treatment plant.
The city arranged for a waste hauler to transport
restaurant grease to the city’s sewage treatment plant and pump it directly
into the anaerobic digester. The process has worked so well that it has
saved the city about $1 million in costs for natural gas and electricity.
And the high-quality methane produced has reduced by 26 percent
smog-forming nitrogen oxide emissions from the cogeneration units.
PROMOTION OF GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
Otana Jakpor, a sophomore at Woodcrest Christian High School in
Riverside, took an interest in air quality and its link to asthma at an
early age. She got interested in ozone-emitting air purifiers after reading
an article in Consumer Reports regarding concerns about ionizing air
cleaners.
After discovering a lack of data on the pulmonary
effects of ozone air purifiers, Otana decided to do her own research. Her
results, presented to the California Air Resources Board, showed that
certain kinds of air purifiers emit astoundingly high levels of ozone. The
Air Resources Board subsequently adopted the nation’s first regulation for
ozone generators.
Otana received the 2008 President’s Environmental Youth
Award for EPA Region IX in recognition of her research. President Bush
presented the award to her at a White House ceremony in April.
PUBLIC EDUCATION OF AIR QUALITY ISSUES
Clean Air Now, a local sponsor of the Clean Air Challenge, has worked to
help middle and high school science teachers meet California science
standards while enabling students to conduct scientific research on an
environmental problem that impacts their health. Students learn about the
correlation between ground-level ozone and emissions of nitrogen oxides and
volatile organic compounds from cars and trucks. Students are then
introduced to alternative fuels that produce fewer emissions.
After a series of lab activities, students draw
conclusions about steps the public can take to travel less, use more
energy-efficient means of transportation and purchase lower-polluting
vehicles.
Tickets to the Clean Air Awards in the Biltmore’s Crystal Ballroom at 506
S. Grand Ave. in Los Angeles were $35 for the public and complimentary for
members of the media
AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major
portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
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