The Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan) will be continuing the Lateral Replacement Grant Program (LRGP) effective July 8, 2013.  Any State of California licensed contractors interested in being listed as a “CVSan Qualified Plumbing Contractor,” eligible to provide quotations to residents who are participating in the LRGP, please submit a written request no later than June 14, 2013 to Castro Valley Sanitary District, 20211 Patio Drive, Suite 200, Castro Valley, CA  94546.

Please be advised that qualified contractors are given such designation based on the following criteria:

1. Properly licensed (either C42 - Sanitation System or Class A - General Engineering Contractor) to work on sewer lines and work in the public roadway.
2. Have no outstanding matters or disputed work with CVSan (i.e., incorrect installations or incomplete work after permit expiration).
3. Have not presented misleading or confusing print media to the community or property owners about the LRGP.

Please be advised, contractors that do not meet the above criteria will be removed from the contractors list for a period of 12 months.

For additional information, please contact the Castro Valley Sanitary District, 20211 Patio Drive, Suite 200, Castro Valley at (510) 606-1300.

Redwood Alternative High School has had a clean campus and beautiful garden for quite some time, what they didn’t have was a food scrap recycling program.  That changed once Dan Poulos, substitute custodian, came to campus a short while ago.  With the help of Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan), Dan implemented a pilot food scrap recycling program complete with improved recycling stations around Redwood High.  Now, students are asking questions, paying attention to the new stations with recycling and organics, and they are reducing waste on campus.

Not only is Redwood High reducing waste, the pilot program has become a fixture that will save $200 a month thanks to a garbage reduction of over 62%! 

With the addition of Redwood High School to CVSan’s Schools Food Scrap Recycling Program, now all 14 public schools and the District offices at Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) are participating in recycling and food scrap recycling programs!  CVUSD now belongs to an elite and very small group of school districts in the United States that have every school participating in elective recycling and food scrap recycling programs.  Great job CVUSD and great job Redwood High, keep up the good work!

Below is a photo of custodian Dan Poulos and a photo of students at lunch at Redwood High.

Do you change your own motor oil?  Do you live in a single-family home?  If you answered yes to both questions, keep reading!  CVSan is announcing a used motor oil filter exchange program beginning April 29^th and ending June 7^th.  Participants will receive a coupon in the mail for a new filter! 

There are 4 easy steps for single-family residents to participate in the filter exchange program and recycle used motor oil filters curbside:

1. Simply drain the used motor oil filter into a pan for 24 hours (an important step, since filters can hold up to a quart of oil).
2. Place the filter in the zippered bag that comes with the free recycling kit from WMAC.
3. If you’d like to participate in the filter exchange program, notify Waste Management of Alameda County, Inc.’s (WMAC’s) Customer Service Center, M-F, 7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. at (510) 537-5500 at least 24 hours of setting out used motor oil and filter(s) curbside to receive a coupon* in the mail from CVSan for a new filter. 
4. Set the sealed bag next to your used motor oil at the curb, and WMAC will collect the filter and used motor oil on your regular collection day. 

Single-family residents can set out up to 3 jugs and 3 filters curbside on your collection day.  Go to www.cvsan.org/usedoilfor more information on how to recycle used motor oil & filters!

* The coupon may be redeemed for 1 filter up to $10 (including tax).  A used motor oil filter must be set out for recycling curbside in order to receive a coupon for a new filter.  Coupon is for a limited time only and expires June 17, 2013.  CVSan reserves the right to alter or cancel the program at any time for any reason.

Lionel Fluker, who was tragically shot and killed on Friday night, April 5^th, near his home in Oakland, was a former employee of the Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan). Lionel served as an Engineering Technician from September 2009 to August 2010. Those that worked with Lionel at CVSan remember his charismatic personality and zest for life. “Although his tenure was brief, he was well-known and liked and had stayed in touch with members of CVSan’s staff,” said CVSan’s General Manager, Roland Williams, Jr.  His pride and joy was his daughter, Dominique. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

The 2012/2013 school year was a record breaking year for waste audit participation by Castro Valley Schools.  Fourteen (14) schools, including nine elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, one private school, and the adult school conducted waste audits with the assistance of Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan). 

A waste audit serves many purposes for a school.  Waste audits are primarily an environmental educational experience for students.  Students sort through their school’s waste to reveal the materials that didn’t need to be thrown away, but instead could have been put in the recycling or organics carts.  In addition, the results of the waste audit demonstrate the successful components of each school’s recycling and organics program, as well as provide insight for how the school can continue to improve its programs.  Lastly, the audits are conducted as part of CVSan’s Green Ribbon Schools.

The aggregate data from the waste audits conducted during 2012/2013 indicates that of the 4,573 gallons of materials sorted, only 33% was actual garbage, and therefore a total of 73% could have gone in the recycling (37%) or organics carts (30%).  The results illustrate that Castro Valley Schools have made great improvement with their organics programs.  Since CVSan began conducting waste audits with schools in 2010, schools have reduced the amount of organics going into the garbage by 12%!

One highlight that emphasizes the achievements of the organics program includes Chabot Elementary School’s results.  Of the materials sorted only 8% could have gone in the organics carts! 

Great job Castro Valley Schools for committing to see what’s in the garbage and continuing to reduce waste at school!  A special thank you to the school staff, parent volunteers, and students who made the waste audits possible!

Below, are a few photos of the waste audit participants.

Gear up for Earth Day by attending Castro Valley Sanitary District’s (CVSan) informative workshop from 6:30-8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9^th!

The presentation will begin with CVSan’s Pat Krevey sharing a brief history of Earth Day and how CVSan’s Earth Day festivities have evolved over the years.  Learn how you can participate in CVSan’s Earth Day event on Saturday, April 27^th and learn about other volunteer opportunities in the area.

Are you ready to lose your thirsty lawn?  Lori Caldwell of StopWaste.Org’s Bay-Friendly Gardening program, Master Composter since 2006, and avid edible gardener, will give a live demonstration on bio-intensive planting plan – growing edibles closer together than the traditional row culture.

Lori will also get you ready for Spring – the best time to work in your garden, convert your lawn, design for and plant edibles, and add new California native and Mediterranean adapted plants.  A list of local nurseries that carry Bay-Friendly (drought tolerant California native and Mediterranean) plants will be provided.

Register now for this free workshop at www.cvsan.org/learn-- Castro Valley Sanitary District Offices, 21040 Marshall Street.  Refreshments will be served.

This workshop is part of CVSan’s “LeaR⁴n” workshop series.  Additional workshops for 2013 include:

• How to Sort Your Recyclables and Compostables – Saturday, 6/22 from 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

For many of us, Earth Day is every day.  We conserve water and energy when we can, use reusable shopping bags and water bottles, and recycle and compost to reduce the amount of garbage we send to landfill.  One day each year, Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan) hosts a Clean-Up and Recycle event in honor of Earth Day and to provide a local opportunity for volunteers to show their spirit.

Please save the date of Saturday, April 27, 2013 for CVSan’s Earth Day: Clean-Up, Recycle event, and Compost Give-Away.

CVSan Earth Day Clean-Up:Register online at www.cvsan.org/EDby April 15th to participate in the “Go Green. CV Clean!” event.  Following a free continental breakfast, a clean-up and beautification will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at 5 community sites, or sign-up to volunteer for your school’s clean-up:

1. Adobe Park
2. Kenneth C. Aitken Senior Center
3. Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area
4. C.V. Creek
5. BART Parking Lot & Downtown Castro Valley
6. Various Schools (contact your school to sign-up for their clean-up)

Volunteer and Support a Local Charity:  In lieu of a free event t-shirt, a $5.00 donation to one of five local charities will be made on behalf of each volunteer.  This year’s charity groups include Rotary Club of Castro Valley, Castro Valley Sports Foundation, Jenny Lin Foundation, Dusty Paws Rescue, Inc., and Friends of San Lorenzo Creek.  A brief description of each charity group is available on CVSan’s website, www.cvsan.org/ED.  Charity groups were selected through a public process by CVSan’s Community Advisory Committee, a ten-member volunteer group that represents the community’s interests by providing a voice directly to the CVSan Board of Directors.

Recycle Event & Compost Give-Away:  Held at Canyon Middle School from 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., by CVSan and Waste Management of Alameda County, Inc. (WMAC) for CVSan customers only.  The following materials will be accepted:

• Mattresses –Limit 2 mattress and box spring sets (Residents only)
• Tires– Limit 4 passenger car or light truck tires.
• Sensitive Documents – Limit 10 banker boxes or equivalent of paper documents for shredding.

The following will be distributed:

• Bagged Compost- Three 1-cubic foot bags per household or business.  Supplies are limited and will be distributed 1^st come 1^st served.  Vehicle loading assistance is available.

For complete details and instructions, visit www.cvsan.org/ED.

Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan) was one of six agencies awarded the  2011-2012 California Sanitation Risk Management Association’s (CSRMA) Workers’ Compensation Excellence Award for achieving the best workers’ compensation loss record for the policy year (July 1 through June 30) in the following three measurement categories: Incidence Rate (a measure of frequency per 100 full-time employees), Average Medical Cost per Claim (a measure of the severity of the injuries that occur),and Average Indemnity per Claim (a measure of how successful a member is in returning injured employees to work).  Each award-winning agency will receive an engraved plaque and an indoor/outdoor banner recognizing their outstanding achievement.

In coordination with the new County-wide ordinance, on Saturday January 12^th and Saturday January 19^th, CVSan gave away over 800 great looking, FREE, and durable reusable cloth bags.  Recipients of the bags signed a pledge form to reduce waste and remember their bag every time they shop.  If you are still looking for reusable bags, the Alameda County Clean Water Program will be giving them away over the next few months all over Alameda County.  Please visit http://www.cleanwaterprogram.org/members-news/item/pick-up-a-free-reusable-bag-and-a-new-habit.htmlto find out when and where.  Also, CVSan will be giving out more of those durable cloth bags (along with produce bags) at the Castro Valley Farmer’s Market in May so stay tuned for details.

According to the Alameda County-wide ordinance from StopWaste.Org, as of January 1, 2013, Alameda County stores that sell packaged food — such as grocery stores, mini-marts and pharmacies — will no longer gave away free bags at checkout.  Instead, customers can bring their own reusable bags or purchase bags made of recycled paper at a minimum charge of 10 cents each.  Small bags for meat and produce will still be available. You can learn more about the reusable bag ordinance at ReusableBagsAC.org

CVSan is opening 2013 registration to Castro Valley residents and business owners to attend a free tour of the Davis Street Transfer Station (DSTS) in San Leandro on September 20^th.

DSTS processes and sorts 4,000 tons of materials a day with 4 state-of-the-art processing facilities, including a brand new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified organics building, single stream materials recovery facility that houses a high-tech optical sorter which uses infrared light and manual sorters that separate materials with precision and speed.

Most attendees find the 3 hour tour very interesting and can’t wait to walk through the processing facilities and ask those “Where do I put this?” questions of DSTS and CVSan staff and learn what happens to their organics, recycling, and garbage once it leaves the curb.

For more information please visit www.cvsan.org/dststour.  Please note this is the only tour CVSan is offering and registration is limited.

To reduce vehicle emissions and make the tour more enjoyable, CVSan provides transportation to the facility free of charge.