County Websites For complete information on Southern California county public agencies, please visit the following web sites: Los Angeles County: www.co.la.ca.us Orange County: www.oc.ca.gov Riverside County: www.co.riverside.ca.us San Bernardino County: www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us Ventura County: www.ventura.org/vencnty.htm Selected county agencies are listed below:

Cooperative Extension Programs Cooperative Extension is part of the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources of the University of California. It provides a direct, personal link between Californians and the teaching, research, and public service activities of the University. Cooperative Extension is a three-way partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the University of California, and county government. From their research, university advisors provide useful and practical information concerning the farm, the garden, and the home. Los Angeles County Cooperative Extension Address: 2615 South Grand Avenue, Ste. 400, Los Angeles, CA 90007 Phone: 213-744-4851 HOTLINE: 213-744-4863 (for garden questions) Fax: 213-745-7513 Cooperative Extension coordinates the joint University of California, Los Angeles, United States Department of Agriculture, and Los Angeles County Common Ground Program. Projects: Common Ground, 4H Youth Development, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Programs, Environmental Horticulture Resources: Farm, garden and nutrition publications; workshops; volunteer training programs Volunteer Opportunities: 4H, Master Gardener, Master Food Preserver, Master Composter, Gardening Angel volunteers (work with children at schools) Orange County Cooperative Extention Address: 1000 So. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92805 Phone: 714-447-7171 Riverside County Cooperative Extension Address: 21150 Box Springs Rd., Moreno Valley, CA 92553-8708 Phone: 909-275-1340 San Bernardino County Cooperative Extension Address: 777 East Rialto Blvd., San Bernardino, CA 92415 Phone: 909-387-2171 Fax: 909-387-3306 Master Gardener Program 909-387-2182 Food and Nutrition Program 909-387-2191 Farm and Home Advice 909-387-2193 Ventura County Cooperative Extension Address: 669 County Square Drive, Ste. 100, Ventura, CA 93003 Phone: 805-645-1451

District Attorney's Offices -- Environmental Protection Units These departments enforce state and local environmental regulations. They typically prosecute cases that have originated with regulatory agencies such as the Bureau of Automotive Repairs (smog fraud) and the Department of Sanitation. The units can respond to citizen complaints or tips regarding consumer fraud or environmental violations. Typical cases include toxic dumping, pesticide misuse, or streambed alteration. Environmental Crimes/OSHA Division - Los Angeles County Address: 320 W. Temple St., Rm. 340, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Phone: 213-974-5901 Fax: 213-626-5125 Environmental Division - City of Los Angeles Address: 200 No. Main St., 16th Fl., Los Angeles, CA 90012 Phone: 213-485-6286 Consumer and Environmental Major Fraud Unit - Orange County Address: 405 W. 5th St., Ste. 606, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Phone: 714-568-1200 - District Attorney's Office - Riverside Address: 4075 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501 Phone: 909-387-8309 Environmental Crimes Unit - San Bernardino Address: 316 N. Mountain View Ave., San Bernardino, CA 92415 Phone: 909-387-8309 Consumer & Environmental Protection Division - Ventura County Address: 800 South Victoria Ave., Ventura, CA 93009 Phone: 805-654-3110

Environmental Health Offices Usually within the County Health Departments, these offices can provide information on environmental health issues, hazardous materials health effects, and occupational hazards. Also see the State Department of Health Services. Central District Environmental Health - Los Angeles County Phone: 213-351-5110 Environmental Health - Orange County Address: 2009 East Edinger Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92705 Phone: 714-667-3600 Environmental Health - Riverside County Address: 4065 County Circle Dr., Rm. 123, Riverside, CA 92503 Phone: 909-358-5172 Environmental Health Services Department - San Bernardino County Address: 385 N. Arrowhead, San Bernardino, CA 92415-0153 Phone: 909-884-4056 Environmental Health Department - Ventura County Address: 800 South Victoria Ave., Ventura, CA 93009 Phone: 805-654-2818

Flood Control Flood Control departments engineer against the threat of damage to the built environment caused by floods. They construct systems for flood control that use reservoirs, channels, pipelines, levees, pump stations, and flood storage ponding facilities. They oversee natural watercourses and coordinate community or agency restoration projects of creeks and waterways that support flood control. Flood Control departments may also conduct water resource studies, monitor runoff water quality, and issue permits for work or grading in watercourse areas. Flood Management Division - Los Angeles County Phone: 818-458-5100 (Department of Public Works) Flood Programs Division-- Orange County Phone: 714-834-6192 Flood Control and Water Conservation District -- Riverside County Address: 1995 Market St., Riverside, CA 92501-1770 Phone: 714-834--6192 Water Resources Department - San Bernardino County Address: 825 E. 3rd St., Rm. 142, San Bernardino, CA 92404 Phone: 909-387-2515 Flood Control -- Ventura County Address: 800 South Victoria Ave., Ventura, CA 93009-1610 Phone: 805-654-2001

Hazardous Materials Management These departments handle hazardous materials issues and oversee compliance with regulations for hazardous waste disposal and storage for businesses. They monitor underground tank permitting, installation, modification and removal. They also oversee clean-up of contaminated sites by approving consultant-designed site mitigation plans and investigate waste and asbestos haulers and removers. These are the people to call if you wish to report any strange new storage techniques of a business neighbor, a potentially un-permitted underground tank removal, or other nefarious business doings. If you suspect that you have found a toxic mini-dump in your area, call the nearest Fire Department. They usually have the quickest response time, and can call the County emergency response teams if they are needed. Health Hazardous Materials Division -- Los Angeles County Fire Department Address: 5825 Rickenbacker Road, City of Commerce, CA 90040 Phones: (General Information) 213-890-4089, (Emergency) 213-890-4317 Hazardous Materials Program -- Orange County Fire Department Address: 180 S. Water St., Orange, CA 92666 Phone: 714-744-0516 Hazardous Materials Management Division -- Riverside County Address: P.O. Box 7600, Riverside, CA 92513-7600 Phone: 909-358-5055 Hazardous Materials Field Services -- San Bernardino County Address: 385 N. Arrowhead Ave., San Bernardino, CA 92415-0153 Phone: 909-387-3080 Hazardous Materials /Environmental Health Division -- Ventura County Address: 800 South Victoria Ave., Ventura, CA 93009 Phone: 805-654-2813 Hazardous Materials Public Information Lines Los Angeles County: 310-908-4286 Orange County: 714-744-0516 Riverside County: 909-358-5256

Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCOs) Los Angeles County Address: 500 W. Temple St., Rm. 383, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Phone: 213-974-1448 Fax: 213-617-2201 Charged with the task of regulating all boundary changes proposed by cities, special districts and individuals, as well as establishing "spheres of influence" boundaries for cities and special districts (e.g. water districts and sewer districts, among others), the commissions can have great impact on the control of urban or suburban sprawl. There are 57 LAFCO commissions in California. The objectives of each LAFCO commission is (i) to encourage the orderly formation of local governmental agencies, (ii) to preserve agricultural land resources, and (iii) to discourage urban sprawl. The Los Angeles County LAFCO commission contains nine members: two members from the County Board of Supervisors, one member from the City of Los Angeles, two members who represent the other 87 incorporated cities in Los Angeles County, two members who represent special districts, one public member who represents the San Fernando Valley statistical area, and one public member who is appointed by the other eight members of the commission. The decisions made by LAFCO can create new cities as well as incorporate the aims of existing cities, and in doing so increase the tax base of cities as well as transferring land out of county General Plan jurisdiction and placing it into the city's. Open space maintenance goals of the county can be usurped by city rezoning following incorporation or annexation. Special district annexations, allowed by LAFCO, pave the way for the installation of infrastructure, which in turn can become the basis for new development. The LAFCOs can answer questions about applications for annexation into, for example, a water or sewer district, answer questions that city planners, environmental organizations or homeowner groups might have, or tell a potential land developer the likelihood of district services in the near future. Among the resources sometimes available to the public are directories of county-wide agencies, complete with meeting schedules and rosters, and "Sphere of Influence" maps.

Los Angeles County - Department of Public Works Hotlines: Environmental information including recycling and household hazardous waste: 1-888 CLEAN LA Illegal stormdrain dumping: 1-800-303-0003 Public Counter including underground tanks, industrial waste, solid waste, recycling: 1-818-458-3517 Address: 900 So. Fremont Ave., Annex Bldg. 3rd Floor, Alhambra, CA 91803 Phone: 818-458-5100 Fax: 818-458-3569 The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works is responsible for the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and repair of roads, bridges, airports, sewers, water supply, flood control and water conservation facilities, and regulatory and ministerial programs for the County of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Flood Control District, other special districts, and contract cities that request services. A 24-hour emergency Operations Center is maintained to respond to problems reported by the public and other agencies, as well as major emergencies such as floods, windstorms, snowstorms, earthquakes, etc. The Environmental Programs Division (EPD) is responsible for five major environmental programs within the County: Hazardous Material Underground Storage Tank (UST) Regulations; Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Planning and Implementation; Stormwater Discharge/Water Quality Monitoring and Control; Industrial Waste Control; and administration of the County's Garbage Disposal Districts. The EPD also has responsibility for development and implementation of public education/outreach programs addressing various waste management and environmental pollution control issues, including recycling, composting, source reduction, household hazardous waste, graffiti abatement, and stormwater/urban programs. In addition, the EPD also provides staffing to the Los Angeles County Integrated Waste Management Task Force. As required by the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, the Task Force is responsible for coordination of all solid waste management activities including disposal and diversion programs on a countywide basis.

Los Angeles County - Metropolitan Transportation Authority Phone: 800-266-6883 Web Site: www.mta.net The mission of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is to design, construct, operate and maintain a safe, reliable, affordable and efficient transportation system that increases mobility, relieves congestion and improves air quality to meet the needs of all Los Angeles County residents. The MTA oversees: All regional bus and rail operations Planning and construction of a countywide rail system Development of effective transportation policies and a long-range plan Programming of federal, state and local revenues for public transit, transportation demand management, bikeways, and highway projects of Los Angeles County Coordination of activities among the countyıs many transportation agencies The MTA's multimodal approach, a fully-coordinated network of buses, rail lines, freeways, bikeways, dial-a-ride services, vanpools and shuttles, seeks to help meet the Los Angles region's goals for reducing air pollution. . For complete information about the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, please visit the web site listed above.

Los Angeles County - Sanitation Districts Address: 1955 Workman Mill Rd., Whittier, CA 90601 Phone: 310-699-7411 Fax: 310-695-6139 The Sanitation Districts provides solid waste management, recycling and disposal facilities, as well as wastewater treatment and water reclamation plants for 5 million people in Los Angeles County. The Districts' objective is to find solutions that are cost effective and environmentally sound, while guarding public health. Key issues faced by the Sanitation Districts are waste management facility siting problems, often involving the NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard!)-syndrome, and educating the public on appropriate waste management techniques and programs. Projects: Operate four sanitary landfills and maintain two closed landfills, two trash-to-energy plants, two recycling centers, ten water reclamation plants, and a main wastewater treatment plant. Innovative Recycling: fueling various District vehicles with landfill gas (methane); producing 70 megawatts of power at four landfill gas-to-energy plants; recycling and separation at landfill sites (recycling appliances, tires, concrete, green materials, and turning ash and asphalt into roadbeds). Water reclamation includes groundwater recharge, irrigation systems, flood channel and estuary enhancement and wildlife habitat. Resources: Waste Exchange Newsletter - contains a continuously updated list of useful materials available through contractors (dirt, wood, etc.); Think Earth Environmental Education Foundation--develops and distributes a kindergarten through 6th grade environmental education and conservation behavior curriculum (Phone: 310-420-6814); partner in the EarthSpirit Teach Green middle and high school programs; videos and brochures available for classroom use on related curricula; no-loan reference library; papers on Districts-related technical topics; Web Site and public facilities listed above. Volunteer Opportunities: Technical internships; considering intern community service credits for high school students under Audubon Society YES program

Vector Management Programs (Insects, Rats & Pests) Los Angeles County Phone: 213-881-4046 San Bernardino County Phone: 909-388-4600 Ventura County Phone: 805-654-2813 Mandated to protect humans from any animals, insects, or other arthropods that cause disease, discomfort, or injury, these agencies monitor, report on, and eradicate "pests." They bait rats with poison, destroy wasp nests, make referrals to beekeepers to remove bee hives (some Agricultural Commissioner Offices field referrals regarding this), and arrange to trap mammals and pests for vector diseases. These districts compile reports on Lyme disease-bearing ticks, monitor flea populations, handle problems with flies and outdoor waste storage, and coordinate Mosquito Abatement programs. The respond to the public's questions and emphasize prevention through education, specifically encouraging the securing of homes against unwanted visitors.