NEWPORT BEACH : Environmental Committee Lauds City’s Cleanest and Greenest

A Newport Beach resident, several local businesses and the Environmental Nature Center have received Newport Green Environmental Achievement Awards from the city’s Environmental Quality Awareness Committee.

Dr. Jan Vandersloot, a resident, was recognized for heading a volunteer planting and maintenance effort for indigenous plants at Cliff Drive park. The nature center was cited for its educational programs designed to intrigue schoolchildren.

The awards recognize businesses that help reduce trash and other source pollution and that conserve energy, said Ed Hepner, chairman of Newport Green.

The business recipients, most of which reported saving money as a result of their conservation efforts, were:

* The Cannery and Malarkey’s restaurants for putting on an annual “Clean Harbor Day,” sweeping the water’s surface around the Cannery’s dock daily, using recyclable glass, cardboard and cooking oils and donating food to area soup kitchens.

* Le Meridien Hotel, where the staff estimates the hotel has saved $170,000 with programs like retrofitting fixtures with energy-saving equipment.

* The Four Seasons Hotel, where officials estimate they recycle a ton of cardboard, a ton of glass and one-half ton of paper weekly. The hotel also is working on a system to recycle 5 million gallons of water annually.

* The Irvine Co., recognized for retrofitting lighting and cooling systems and participating in a waste separation and recycling program at its Newport Center offices.

* The Airport Office Center, which won an award for replacing non-recyclable polystyrene cups with recyclable paper ones. Office manager Michele Ulriksen also provided waste separation bins and began a campaign to use both sides of the paper for announcements and flyers.