On April 23, 2013, the County Board of Supervisors will present its Fifth Annual Green Leadership Awards recognizing outstanding and innovative energy conservation and environmental efforts by the private and public sectors.

The awards will be presented by Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas, Chairman, at 9:30 a.m. during the weekly Board of Supervisors meeting, Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 W. Temple St., Room 381-B, downtown Los Angeles.

Recipients of the Green Leadership Awards are:

• CHAIR:  Christina Kull Martens, Manager, Process Improvement, Northrop Grumman Corp.
• BUSINESS:  Sony Pictures Entertainment – Sustainable Education and Outreach
• PUBLIC AGENCY: Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission – Culver City Rainwater Harvesting Program
• NON-PROFIT: California State University Los Angeles – EcoCAR2 Team
• LOS ANGELES COUNTY: Department of Public Works – Sustainable Pavement Treatment for County Roads

Chief Executive Officer William T Fujioka said, “The County’s Green Leadership Program recognizes outstanding environmental sustainability efforts, which benefit the residents of Los Angeles County.” The award-winning projects range from employee-led sustainability initiatives to college students modifying a fossil fuel vehicle into a Plug-In Hybrid electric vehicle.

“The County proudly honors the 2013 recipients of its Green Leadership Awards,” added CEO Fujioka.

The Chair’s Green Leadership Award was selected for the following accomplishments:

Christina Kull Martens

Manager, Process Improvement

Northrop Grumman Corporation

She has served as an environmental engineer at Northrop Grumman since 2007, where she has developed and implemented an award-winning employee sustainability team, which was honored by the South Bay Business Environmental Coalition (SBBEC), Southern California Edison – Climate Registry Cool Planet Award and the West Basin Water District. She has spearheaded efforts in the areas of greenhouse gas reduction, waste reduction and recycling, energy conservation, air quality compliance, corporate social responsibility reporting, and efficiency identification and implementation. She is an active member of Connect1 NG, GreenBiz.com, Sustainability Learning Centre and the California Conservation Corp Greening Board.

Ms. Martens, who is fluent in Japanese, is certified in Zero Waste Management and Landfill Diversion and Commercial Organics, and specializes in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in environmental science and engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

The Los Angeles County Green Leadership award winners were selected for the following accomplishments:

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)

Sustainable Education and Outreach

The entertainment giant built its sustainability program on several employee-based initiatives, which focused on educating employees, their families and local communities. SPE’s aggressive environmental goals included a zero waste studio, a 20 percent carbon reduction across the company, electronic paystub system, an internal bike shuttle program, and a cash-incentive for employees to purchase clean air/energy efficient vehicles, and solar panels for their homes.

For the community, SPE funded 14 projects on which employees collaborated. These include the Orville Wright/Westchester Community Garden, Green Up with Los Angeles Universal Preschool, and People, Pets and Native Plants with the Village Gardeners of the Los Angeles River.

Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission

Culver City Rainwater Harvesting Program (CCRH)

The pilot program was launched to teach Culver City residents about urban water management and provide an opportunity for participation in “best management practices” on their properties. Rainwater flowing from sidewalks, driveways and streets collects pollutants (lead, copper, nitrate, phosphorous, bacteria) before it reaches a nearby storm drain. Capturing the water from rooftops reduces pollution into the Santa Monica Bay.

CCRH installed 396 rain barrels and redirected rainwater to gardens and lawns, and provided direct education to more than 1,000 residents at public events, home consultations and through the distribution of instructional literature. Each year the rain barrels capture between 175,000 and 400,000 gallons of storm water that otherwise would have flowed into the Santa Monica Bay.

California State University – Los Angeles (CSULA)

Eco CAR2 Team

It is the only California team participating in a three-year competition, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors. The contest challenges the 15 university teams to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles by minimizing the vehicle’s fuel consumption, reducing emissions while at the same time retaining performance, safety and consumer appeal.

The CSULA Eco CAR2 team aims to meet the competition goals while also educating fellow and middle school students and the public about sustainable technological advances in transportation. Team members, who represent the next generation of engineers, gain real world experience in the development of complex vehicle technologies. The students are designing and integrating their Ethanol 85 powered plug-in hybrid solution into an all-new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu.

Department of Public Works (DPW)

Sustainable Pavement Treatment for County Roads

The Department manages the largest network of County roads in the state and keeping them in good condition is always a challenge. DPW implemented a sustainable pavement treatment program, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage. The three-prong approach to treating County roads includes 1) pavement preservation, 2) using recycled materials, and 3) reutilizing existing materials in place.

Pavement preservation materials use far less energy to perform the specific treatment, and utilizing recycled materials reduces the amount that typically would go to landfills. Major road re-construction projects have a major impact on the environment due to removing existing asphalt and layered materials below the pavement and hauling them away. Cold-In-Place Recycling and Cold Central Plant Recycling are two processes which refurbish existing asphalt in place, eliminate truck traffic and avoid removing raw materials from the earth.

For more information on the County’s Green Leadership Awards, contact Victoria Pipkin-Lane at (213) 974-1361, vpipkin@ceo.lacounty.gov or Mary Savinar at (213) 974-1390, msavinar@ceo.lacounty.gov.