City Of Santa Cruz Businesses Honored With Pollution Prevention Awards

From the City of Santa Cruz:

September 27, 2019

SANTA CRUZ — The City of Santa Cruz Environmental Compliance Program hosted the Pollution Prevention Awards 2019 on Thursday, Sept. 26, to honor local food service and vehicle service facilities that have been consistent recipients of Clean Ocean Business awards for five years.

The invitation-only awards event at the Back Nine Grill and Bar recognized a total of 28 Santa Cruz businesses for consistent compliance with the City’s Clean Ocean Business program. Their efforts protect local creeks, the San Lorenzo River and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary through practices that keep pollutants away from both storm drains and the sewer system. The special awards went to nine vehicle service facilities and 19 food service facilities.

“The efforts for which these businesses are being recognized reflect their culture of consistent compliance to the standards that are critical for important public health issues beyond sewer system protections.” said City of Santa Cruz Wastewater Lab and Environmental Compliance Manager Akin Babatola. “We are grateful to have informed partners like these businesses.”

One of the awards went to Santa Cruz Auto Tech. Their Service Advisor Linsey Anderson said, “Customers notice that the shop is clean and that we care about the environment.”

The dinner event included a presentation of other ways that the Environmental Compliance Program is helping to protect Santa Cruz waterways. The City’s 11-year old Pharmaceuticals and Sharps Disposal Program was highlighted including a display of the wall-mounted receptacle for needles and sharps that is available to any business with free collection service.

The awards event reflected last week’s National Pollution Prevention Week.

This press release was produced by the City of Santa Cruz. The views expressed here are the author’s own.