News Release: Governor Brown Honors California Organizations With 2013 Environmental Leadership Award
From the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA):
“Established in 1993, GEELA [Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award] honors individuals, companies and organizations that make significant contributions to the state by developing environmentally friendly practices while contributing to the local economy. … The 2013 GEELA winners are:
- The Water Conservation Garden (San Diego County) for developing the ‘Ms. Smarty- Plants’ program, a hands-on approach to teaching water conservation that is adaptable to all grade levels.
- Western Riverside Council of Governments (Riverside County) for helping home owners and businesses make energy and water efficient improvements to their properties.
- University of California, Irvine (Orange County) for reducing energy use by more than half in its most high-consumption laboratory facilities.
- California National Guard (Sacramento County) for cleaning up illegal marijuana operations that have a significant negative impact on land and water resources.
- Homewood Mountain Resort (Placer County) for effective watershed management that decreases sediment runoff into Lake Tahoe. 
- PEP Housing (Sonoma County) for creating affordable senior housing designed to encourage sustainable living habits such as walking and use of public transportation.
- City of San Jose (Santa Clara County) for tripling the diversion rate of its commercial solid waste and moving toward a Green Vision of diverting all solid waste from landfills.
- Hilton Concord Hotel (Contra Costa County) for using an advanced laundry system and motion sensors to reduce energy and water use for the Concord property, the Hilton ’sustainable prototype.’
- California Department of Public Health (Alameda County) for achieving a 42 percent reduction in computer electricity, 41 percent recycling rate and 40 percent reduction in water use in Building P of its Richmond Campus, powered by 100 percent renewable energy.
- NASA Ames Research Center (Santa Clara County) for building the first federal facility to receive LEED Platinum rating for new construction. ….
- Inland Empire Regional Composting Authority (San Bernardino County) for designing and constructing North America’s largest, fully enclosed composting facility which produces approximately 230,000 cubic yards of compost per year.
- CleanWorld (Sacramento County) for partnering with local businesses and organizations to construct the largest biodigester of its kind in the nation, producing nearly 200,000 diesel gallon equivalents of renewable natural gas each year.
Read more from CalEPA’s news release