Press Room: Office of Public Affairs
Chris Peck, Director
Office of Public Affairs
Information Officers
Charlene Graham
Andrew Hughan
Beatriz Sandoval
(916) 341-6300
opa@ciwmb.ca.gov
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News Media Resources: Quick access for news editors and reporters to noteworthy facts and information about the Integrated Waste Management Board including links to fact sheets, informative databases, bios and photos of Board Members, and other resources.
Press Releases: A listing of recent press releases and the option to view more releases by selecting a year from the pull down menu.
Media Center Events
Clean Energy Taking off in California. CIWMB Chair Margo Reid Brown was keynote speaker at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Ox Mountain Landfill Gas-to-Energy Plant in Half Moon Bay on July 1, 2009. Chair Brown congratulated Ameresco, owner/operator of the plant, and affiliated private and local government agencies on their remarkable accomplishment. The facility converts landfill gas to energy, prevents the release of harmful greenhouse gases, and creates electricity from a renewable, affordable source—reducing the need for power created from fossil fuels. Facilities like Ox Mountain play an invaluable role in helping the Board to accomplish its mission of zero waste.
Brown was joined in her congratulations by a representative from U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, local and regional elected officials, and representatives from the City of Alameda Public Utilities Board, Republic Services, and Penn Power Systems.
Owned and operated by a subsidiary of Ameresco, Inc., a nationwide green energy company, the project will generate enough electricity to power more than 11,900 homes while reducing emissions equivalent to the planting of nearly 12,864 acres of pine or fir forest or saving over 12 million therms of natural gas annually.
State Reaches 58 Percent Waste Diversion Rate (Video Script, Adobe PDF, 13 KB)
Waste Board grant pays to clear away rubble and renovate State Park site. Thanks to a
$1.2 million grant from the California Integrated Waste Management Board, the State has removed tons of construction rubble, trash, and other hazards that have been dumped along the bayfront property.
The project has improved visitor access to interior areas and the shoreline bluff of Candlestick Point State Recreation Area (SRA) by removing rubble and refurbishing existing trails within the park. Using crushed rock and debris salvaged from the cleanup effort, two smaller separate trails are now linked into one continuous trail, thus enhancing the public’s enjoyment of the bay front’s natural habitat.
“This is a great tribute for Earth Day as we celebrate the restoration of one of San Francisco Bay’s scenic treasures,” said Board Member Carole Migden. “We are pleased that the Board’s efforts can be used to benefit the California State Parks and the people who will use the park for years to come.” See video 
(YouTube | Windows Media, 282 Kbps, 4:36 minutes).
The CIWMB Celebrated 50 Years of Progress in Compost at BioCcyle 2009. The CIWMB was a key participant in BioCycle's 50th Anniversary Conference, which took place in San Diego April 28-30, 2009. Board Chair Margo Reid Brown began the conference with an opening plenary welcome. Board Staff Brian Stalker, Diana Rivera, Kathleen Groody, Jacques Franco, and Bob Horowitz spoke, and Fernando Berton and Jerry Berumen acted as moderators.
BioCycle's long history of profiling successful and innovative composting and organics recycling programs and research projects across California can be credited as helping to set the stage for CIWMB's success at making California the first state to adopt sustainable waste management practices, The magazine enjoys an excellent working relationship with the California Integrated Waste Management Board and we were happy to participate in such a worthwhile conference. Photo (left to right): Gerald Berumen and Fernando Berton, Supervising Integrated Waste Management Specialists I and II, Margo Reid Brown, Board Chair, Brenda Smyth, Program Manager.
The CIWMB gives award to manufacturing company for their tremendous efforts to protect the health of California's environment by creating and implementing sustainable business practices. On Tuesday, January 27, 2009, City of Industry carpet manufacturer Bentley Prince Street, Inc. was named recipient of the 2008 CalRecycle Sustainable Business Award, the highest honor from the Waste Board's annual Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP). Board Chair Margo Reid Brown and Bentley Prince Street President Anthony Minite were joined by City of Industry officials and environmental leaders as they celebrated Bentley Prince Street's accomplishments. The CalRecycle award honors businesses taking extraordinary measures to reduce waste by cutting the amount of trash they produce, conserving resources, and reducing waste disposal in landfills. Photos: Left--During the Presidential inauguration ceremony, Bentley Prince Street's striking red and blue carpet cascaded down the U.S. Capitol's steps. Right--Bentley Prince Street Director of Sustainability Judy Pike (left), CIWMB Chair Margo Reid Brown, and Bentley Prince Street President Anthony Minite with sustainability awards and certificate.
RMDZ Celebrates $100 Million in Loans to Create Jobs, Boost Economy, and Put Waste to Higher Uses. State and local officials celebrated the California Integrated Waste Management
Board’s (CIWMB) giving away more than 100 million dollars in loans through
its Recycled Market Development Zone (RMDZ) loan program. The RMDZ program
offers business loans designed to boost California’s economy and create
green jobs. The event was held at ersol Silicon Inc. ersol Silicon was a loan
recipient that is now an international supplier of recycled silicon for
solar panel manufacturers. Pictured here left to right are Board Member Gary Petersen, Board Chair Margo Reid Brown, CEO of B.A.S. Recycling, CIWMB Branch Manager Jim LaTanner, and Ventura County Zone Administrator David Goldstein. For more information about the program, please
visit the Board's RMDZ site.
See video (Windows
Media, 282 Kbps, 4:52 minutes).
Second Panel Discussion Takes Place on Collapse of Recyclables Market. On January 14, 2009, Board Members heard testimony from an expert panel representing industries that convert recyclable materials into finished commodities regarding the recent decline of the recyclables markets that is having a global effect on businesses and government agencies. The panel included representatives from International Paper, The Newark Group, Owens-Illinois, Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers, and the United States Pipe and Foundry Company, LLC. Board members exchanged ideas and options with the panel as well as with members of the audience made up of government officials and business leaders. A third panel discussion will take place to address end market uses for recycled- content products and is scheduled for February. Pictured here are the panel members during their presentations to the Board.
Board Members Take a Leadership Role in Collapse of Recyclables Market. On December 10, 2008, the Board heard testimony from industry experts on the sharp decline of the recyclables markets that is having a global effect on businesses and government agencies. Board members exchanged ideas and options with the panel as well as with members of the audience made up of government officials and business leaders. The Board is scheduling a follow up panel discussion to take place in January to continue to look at both the short-term and long-term solutions for California. Pictured here left to right are Board Advisor Chris Peck, Board Member Gary Petersen, Board Chair Margo Reid Brown, and Board Advisor Jeff Danzinger sitting at a raised dais in front of the industry experts. See video for more information.
Press Releases
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Public Affairs Office: opa@ciwmb.ca.gov (916) 341-6300