FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2004

CONTACTS:
Frances Gilliland, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District 961-8838
Kent Epperson Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) Traffic Solutions 961-8917

2004 Green Award Winners Announced
Consortium Celebrates the Eleventh Annual Green Awards Program

SANTA BARBARA, CA -- Today, the Green Award Consortium announced winners of the 2004 Green Awards, which recognize Santa Barbara County businesses and organizations for outstanding environmental efforts. This year marks the 11th annual Green Awards program. Approximately 60 outstanding companies from throughout Santa Barbara County have been honored over the past eleven years. “Each year we recognize businesses and organizations that combine environmental vision with smart business practices,” explains Kent Epperson, Consortium member and Director of SBCAG Traffic Solutions. “Green Award winners are able to demonstrate that what makes good environmental sense also makes good business sense. Fiscal conservation and environmental conservation actually go hand in hand.”

For the first time in the Green Awards’ history, the Consortium elected to open the awards program to public schools. “We felt public schools should be included in the program because of their broad-reaching impact on our communities,” says Frances Gilliland, Consortium member from the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District. “When a school demonstrates sound environmental business practices, it not only serves as an environmental role model for other schools, but it also inspires the students and their parents.”

The other consortium members are the Community Environmental Council, Santa Barbara County Public Works Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division, and Santa Barbara County Water Agency.

The 2004 Green Award winners represent a range of businesses, organizations and schools, and their efforts to protect our environment include a wide range of activities. Honored this year with Green Awards are: Housing & Residential Services, University of California – Santa Barbara; Great White Dental Lab (Santa Maria); Monte Vista School – Hope School District (Santa Barbara); and Kanaloa Seafood (Santa Barbara).

The Green Award recognizes companies and organizations for voluntary activities, above and beyond their primary missions that result in cleaner air or water, less waste, less traffic, conservation of energy and natural resources, or reduced use of hazardous materials. The awards are an annual highlight of Pollution Prevention Week, celebrated nationally during the week of September 20 - 26. Winners will be honored at a special awards luncheon on Friday, September 24.

Meet the Winners: A description of the winners with contact numbers follows.

Housing & Residential Services, University of California, Santa Barbara
Mark Rousseau, Energy and Environmental Manager – 893-3092

UCSB’s Housing & Residential Services’ (H&RS) commitment to the environment, both on campus and in our community, is extraordinary. Their list of programs includes efforts as varied as recycling in residence halls and reducing storm water runoff through the use of bioswales. Their comprehensive recycling program diverts hundreds of tons of material from the landfill annually. Materials that are recycled include mixed paper and cardboard, batteries, oil, furniture, cooking oil and more. Their MOVE-OUT program collects clothing, books, kitchen goods, unused food, etc. from residence halls and apartments for donation to the Isla Vista GIVE sale and other local and regional charities. H&RS composts vegetable waste from dining commons and landscape green waste. Renewable energy programs in five residence halls reduce natural gas usage by 30 – 40% annually. Water conservation measures include a new system to recycle water along the food tray cleaning area, reducing water use over 30%. Clean-air efforts include an impressive alternative transportation program and installation of low-emitting boiler burners.

Great White Dental Lab, Santa Maria
Jim Spallino, President – 922-9692

Great White Dental Lab in Santa Maria makes teeth that are fired in electric powered porcelain furnaces. They are a leader in making the business case for solar power. They recently installed a net metering solar photovoltaic system that supplies more than 100% of Great White Dental’s power needs and sends excess power to the grid. On weekends, when the manufacturing facility is not operating, the solar array provides enough power for 264 homes. The system is installed on an elevated carport structure that serves as a covered carport for employee cars.

The reduced power demand benefits air quality and supports energy independence. In addition to its dedication to reducing energy use, Great White Dental Lab is committed to recycling and buying recycled- content office products. They minimize their use of hazardous materials, and subsequent hazardous waste, by using warm water and Simple Green in their industrial cleaning process whenever possible. They conserve water by using a “dry trimming” process as much as possible versus “wet trimming” that requires water.

Monte Vista School – Hope School District, Santa Barbara
Judy Stettler, Principal 687-5333

Monte Vista School, an elementary school in the Hope School District, works to educate both its students and the public about taking care of our community’s environment. School children and teachers cultivate a native plant nature trail with four habitat areas that are open to the public. The trail features drought-tolerant landscaping and includes signs and environmental education opportunities. Monte Vista sets an example for all schools with its comprehensive school-wide co-mingled recycling program. To run this program they work with the Community Environmental Council, MarBorg Industries and student volunteers from UCSB. They hold a weekly farmer’s market with organic produce from the school garden. On the district level, Hope School District has a nutrition committee working to bring locally grown organic produce into school lunch programs. The school custodial staff follows the Green School requirements, using less-toxic cleaning and ground maintenance supplies. Monte Vista students also participate in Bike to School day, and are encouraged to walk, bike or carpool to school.

Kanaloa Seafood, Santa Barbara
Donald Disraeli, 966-5159

Kanaloa Seafood in Santa Barbara recently became the first seafood processor and distributor in North America and Europe to become ISO 14001 certified. ISO 14001 standards, voluntary environmental standards recognized around the world, require a business to set environmental objectives and develop an environmental management plan to achieve the goals. ISO 14001 also requires a certified business focus on pollution prevention, and continuous improvement. Kanaloa Seafood has reduced water use by more than 30% through employee training, changes in operating procedures, monthly water leak inspections, and installation of water-saving devices in restrooms. They have developed a new packing material system that is 100% recyclable and made of recycled-content material – this stands out in an industry where current packing practices use packing material that is not recyclable. Kanaloa separates wastes to allow for increased recycling and makes waste fish available for use as bait by local fisherman. They also work with their vendors and customers to promote sustainable fisheries.

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