North Valley Coalition of Concerned Citizens has been committed to protecting the health of families and the environment in the Los Angeles area for over 20 years
The North Valley Coalition of Concerned Citizens (NVC) has selected Bill Hopkins of Granada Hills as the recipient of their Environmental Citizen of the Year award for 2013, recognizing his support for environmental issues, and his efforts promoting Emergency Preparedness in the community. Wayde Hunter, President of the NVC, says that “selecting Bill as this year’s honoree was an easy decision for our Board of Directors, due to his strong support for the environment, emergency preparedness, and his deep concern for our members.”
Bill regularly attends the Sunshine Canyon Landfill Community Advisory Council meetings, composed of a diverse group of citizens, Los Angeles City, County, and state agencies, and representatives of the landfill to address the multitude of landfill issues affecting the health and welfare of the local community. Bill says that: “I’m honored to receive this award, joining a select group of like-minded citizens promoting responsible stewardship of our environment while also addressing local concerns. By my actions, I strive to inspire others to consider our environment in all that we do.” Bill is a charter member of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power’s and Bureau of Sanitation’s Recycled Water Advisory Group, known as RWAG. He installed solar electrical panels on his home 10 years ago, which helps LADWP meet their renewables mandate and that can provide power whenever utility power is lost; diverted all downspouts to beneficially use rainwater, thus reducing urban runoff; replaced a thirsty lawn with drought-tolerant landscaping; and adopted other conservation measures, including driving an all-electric vehicle. He is a strong advocate for solar electrical power and alternative energy production.
In addition, Bill is a community-elected member of the Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council (GHNNC), and is their Emergency Preparedness (EP) Chair.
Environmental issues are but one of Bill’s passions. He continues to help the community prepare for the next major disaster by having relevant and topical speakers at monthly EP meetings, presenting the Map Your Neighborhood program to help residents prepare their immediate neighbors for disasters, working with community partners and other interested parties in pre-staging emergency supplies for public use, and as a coordinator for the Annual Valley Disaster Preparedness Fair. Bill reports that: “Regular EP meetings are open to everyone, and are held on the first Tuesday of the month, 7:00 pm, at 11139 Woodley Avenue, Granada Hills.” He is also a regular contributor to the Granada Hills Life and Porter Ranch Life magazines, writing about Emergency Preparedness topics.
For the third year running, Bill has coordinated Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) classes in Granada Hills supported by the GHNNC, and for the last two years it has been conducted with the Patriot Oil Community Benefit Trust Fund, administered by the North Valley Coalition, as a co-sponsor. Bill states that: “We all know we should protect the environment and prepare for a disaster. Working together with community organizations like the NVC and neighborhood councils, we can learn how to incorporate easy habits into our daily lives, resulting in a brighter, safer, and cleaner tomorrow.”
The NVC regularly participates in the annual Granada Hills Street Parade, this year being held on December 8. Their entry is a 1923 Ford Model T antique automobile, owned and driven by Ralph Kroy, which will carry their Environmental Citizen of the Year awardee along the parade route on Chatsworth Street, from Petit Park (Petit Avenue) to Granada Hills Charter High School (Zelzah Avenue), starting at 1:30 pm and ending at approximately 4:30 pm. For parade information, contact the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce at (818) 368-3235, email@granadachamber.com, or web: granadachamber.com.
About the North Valley Coalition
The North Valley Coalition has been committed to protecting the health of families and the environment in the Los Angeles area for over 20 years. They got their start as Dump-the-Dump, and later incorporated under the NVC banner. Their accomplishments range from preserving parklands to helping stop toxic waste incinerators. Of utmost importance to all of their members is their ongoing fight to oppose the various expansions of the Sunshine Canyon Landfill, to hold the various owners BFI/Allied Waste/Republic Industries accountable for ongoing violations of their Solid Waste Facilities Permit (SWFP) and the County Conditional Use Permit (CUP). For the past four years, the NVC has been working to require the City, County, and State to take action against the landfill for odor problems that impact the community on a daily basis. The North Valley Coalition is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization of dedicated volunteers who receive no compensation for their labor and involvement.
