June 2019
Save Water, Energy, Money, & the Environment
Torrance California Friendly Landscape & Turf Removal Classes in 2019

Remove your turf and successfully convert your landscape into a sustainable drought-tolerant garden. These classes will help you understand and meet rebate program requirements. Register for the upcoming Saturday class scheduled below:

Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) Effluent Outfall Tunnel Construction Under Carson and Rancho Palos Verdes Update

The new discharge tunnel will provide better seismic resiliency, provide additional capacity for population growth and storm events, and will provide redundancy for the two existing tunnels that were constructed in 1937 and 1958, which have not been inspected in nearly 60 years. Construction of the slurry wall for the JWPCP Shaft Site is expected to begin in the fall with excavation of the shaft expected to begin in early 2020. The estimated completion date is targeted for October 2026.
SoCalGas and Others Award $578,500 in Rebates to LA Unified School District for New Commercial Kitchen Equipment
SoCalGas, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) awarded the Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles Unified) close to $600,000 in energy and water efficiency program rebates. Los Angeles Unified received $482,500 through SoCalGas' "Energy Efficiency Rebates for Business" program and $96,000 in rebates from MWD and LADWP through the "SoCalWater$mart" program. The rebates stemmed from the purchase of nearly 200 new high-efficiency natural gas pressure-less steamers placed in the kitchens at more than 90 Los Angeles Unified schools. Representatives from SoCalGas, MWD, and LADWP presented the rebate checks at the May 28 Board of Education Committee of the Whole meeting.
June Gloom Applies to Metallic Balloon Outages Too
How likely is it — 3 1/2 months apart — for the very same customers at nearly the very same time of day to experience power outages caused by adrift metallic balloons? As it turns out, very likely for nearly 4,000 Southern California Edison customers in Santa Monica, first on New Year's Day and then again on April 14, starting at 10:27 a.m. and 10:09 a.m., respectively, and lasting for more than nine hours in both cases. 
One of those affected customers, Sean Tao, the owner of Chomp Eatery and Juice Station, didn’t know at the time what caused the outages but, unlike many customers, was not surprised when he learned. 
FREE Eco Gardener Workshops in Torrance

Make your beautiful garden the envy of your neighbors while simultaneously saving water and creating a productive ecosystem in your backyard! WRD's Lillian Kawasaki Eco Gardener Program teaches homeowners about the multiple benefits of planting a sustainable garden through a series of in-person classes. Whether you attend one or all of them, you are certain to walk away with knowledge about sustainable garden design concepts as well as plant and material selections for creating an attractive, water efficient garden. All classes are FREE.

The Eco Gardener program educates residents on four popular topics: sustainable landscape design, drought-tolerant plants, edible gardening, and irrigation basics. Choose from the list of classes below to register for ( all classes are hosted at Madrona Marsh in Torrance ).

Grass Replacement Classes 2019
Learn how to replace your grass with sustainable drought-tolerant alternatives. Additionally, these classes will aid in assisting residents with understanding how to meet rebate program requirements. Choose to register from the list of upcoming classes below:

LADWP's La Kretz Innovation Campus Now Open for Tours
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (LADWP) La Kretz Innovation Campus is extending an open invitation to the community to tour the campus and learn how LADWP is leading by example to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependency on imported water. The Customer Engagement and Sustainable Living Labs at the La Kretz Innovation Campus showcase what LADWP is doing to be more sustainable and to create an inclusive green economy.
Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste Collection Events

The Household Hazardous Waste and Electronic Waste Collection Program (HHW) gives Los Angeles County residents a legal and cost-free way to dispose of unwanted household chemicals that cannot be disposed of in the regular trash. Click on date(s) below for more information about the next event taking place in the South Bay:

Metro Continues to Support Small Businesses During Transit Rail Construction
Metro recently released the 2019 Small Business Report highlighting the accomplishments of two innovative pilot small business programs, the Business Interruption Fund (BIF) and the Crenshaw/LAX Pilot Business Solution Center (BSC). These two pilot programs have entered their fourth year of implementation and continue to provide support to small businesses impacted by transit rail construction. The BIF and BSC represent Metro’s commitment to helping small businesses thrive in their communities as we build for the future. 

Also, learn about other Metro programs such as Vanpool and ExpressLanes .
South Bay in the News
Manhattan Beach Will Switch to 100 Percent Clean Power for City Facilities

All Manhattan Beach city facilities will be powered by 100 percent green energy starting in June. At a council meeting last month, local leaders voted to increase the city’s elected power tier with the Clean Power Alliance from 50 percent to 100 percent renewable energy. “It’s not an understatement to say this would be the biggest environmental decision that has ever been made in the city,” said Environmental Sustainability Manager Dana Murray. The move will cost between $70,000 to $90,000, according to Murray, but those funds will not come from an increase in tax dollars.
Learn more about South Bay sub-region & its member cities/areas here
Interested becoming a volunteer at SBESC? Fill out an application here
Where Does Your City Rank
in the SCE Energy Leader Partnership Program?

Platinum Tier: 20% Energy Reduction
Carson, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes,
Rolling Hills Estates, Torrance

Gold Tier: 10% Energy Reduction
El Segundo, Gardena, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills
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