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Round Off Your Winter Conference Experience With

A Tour Of LA’s Prime Green Technology Projects!

Wednesday, February 15, 2011
12:15 – 4:00 PM

Join the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation on a tour of two of its sustainable development projects that help this coastal city achieve its water quality goals!

South Los Angeles Wetland Park Project
The newly-completed South Los Angeles Wetlands Park project converted a historic rail yard into a multi-beneficial nine-acre wetland park. This green oasis sits in the heart of a highly industrialized area, and removes trash, bacteria, metals and nutrients from runoff from the 525-acre subwatershed to help improve water quality in the Los Angeles River. This project was championed by Councilwoman Jan Perry, a 2010 NACWA National Environmental Achievement Award Honoree, who pushed to convert an entire city block into an urban sanctuary for both residents and wildlife. Project highlights include wetlands, meandering pedestrian trails and bridges, observation decks and riparian habitat. The park is also available to students of Los Angeles schools to use as an outdoor classroom to learn about wetland eco-systems, native California habitat and species, and watershed protection.

Terminal Island Renewable Energy (TIRE) Project
After a walking tour of the wetlands park, you will be taken to the south end of the City to see the Terminal Island Renewable Energy (TIRE) project. This is an ongoing, full scale demonstration project that takes bio-slurry material from Terminal Island and Hyperion Treatment Plants and injects it to a depth of 5,300 feet beneath the Terminal Island Water Reclamation Plant. There, it undergoes natural biodegradation and ultimately will be converted into renewable clean energy that could provide power for approximately 3000 homes. Since July 2008, more than 140 million gallons of bioslurry material have been safely injected and monitored with state of the art equipment. Project benefits include sequestration of 83,000 tons of carbon dioxide, reduction in trucking emissions by 84 tons of NOx and 13 tons of carbon monoxide and reduction in transportation costs by $1.6 million.

Following a tour of the TIRE project, the bus will make two stops, the first at LAX to drop off tour participants who need to catch their flights home (arrival at LAX will be approximately 4:00 pm). The second and final stop will be back at the Omni Hotel at California Plaza (approximately 5:00 pm).