The Weekly Newspaper of Torrance Herald Publications - Torrance, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 6, No. 46 - November 3, 2016 Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................8 Classifieds............................4 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Entertainment......................2 Legals.................................4,9 Police Reports.....................3 Real Estate...................10-11 Sports....................................5 TerriAnn in Torrance..........6 Weekend Forecast 16th Annual DUI Awareness Fair at El Camino College El Camino College held its 16th Annual DUI Awareness Fair on Oct. 25, to spread community awareness and discourage drunken driving. The fair included demonstrations that mimic the effects of being under the influence. Participants were allowed to wear special “DUI goggles” or “marijuana impairment goggles,” that simulate being under the influence while driving a golf cart. Photo by Eric Ramos • Talk about a Near-Miss! LAX Nearly Loses Havana By Rob McCarthy A miscalculation by Alaska Airlines nearly cost Los Angeles International Airport the prized Havana route that’s scheduled to begin in early January, nearly six weeks later than the Seattle-based carrier originally promised. The Department of Transportation in August awarded Alaska a single nonstop flight per day from the West Coast to the Cuban capital city. The first flight will depart 37 days behind schedule on Jan. 5, which prompted federal aviation officials to reconsider whether it made the correct choice giving the route to Alaska Airlines. Competitor JetBlue asked the federal transportation agency to reassign the West Coast route to Boston, and to name Jet- Blue as the designated carrier after Alaska postponed the start of the daily service until 2017. Jet Blue argued that the delay gave the Department of Transportation a reason to re-award the Cuban route, which would have grounded the travel plans of West Coast residents. A diplomatic agreement between the United States and Cuba opened a limited number of commercial flights in and out of Cuba, and the demand among the domestic airlines exceeded the number of flights the Castro government would accept. Cuban officials agreed to 20 flights per day, which the Department of Transportation awarded to eight domestic carriers. Friday Partly Cloudy 73˚/58˚ Saturday Sunny 71˚/59˚ Sunday Partly Cloudy 68˚/57˚ Council Amends Agreement For Use of Renewable Compressed Natural Gas By Cristian Vasquez A recommendation by Transit Director Kim Turner to amend for a third time an agreement with Clean Energy [CE] for the use of renewable compressed natural gas at the Torrance City Yard was approved by the city council. The City of Torrance and Clean Energy [of Newport Beach] entered a license agreement on Nov. 20, 2012 in order to allow for the construction and operation of a fuelling facility that provides compressed natural gas in the Torrance City Yard complex [20500 Madrona Ave.] This agreement was amended on Aug. 12, 2014 to find the final location for the station, after it was determined that the original site selected was not viable. “The natural gas utilized by the city to power our heavy-duty vehicles is known as “Blue Gas” which is extracted from natural wells and gas pockets via conventional mining methods,” states the staff report signed by Turner. “The gas is compressed and then used to used to fuel heavy-duty vehicles such as transit buses, street sweepers and trash trucks. Hydraulic Fracturing (or Fracking) is one method of well-stimulation used to collect natural gas, and has recently grown controversial over its possible environmental impacts.” While the facility was completed by January of 2015, and is used exclusively for the city to fuel its heavy-duty vehicles, the agreement was again amended a on Sept. 22, 2015 in order to apply $175,000 in grant monies from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee [MSRC] and help offset construction costs. “An alternative to Blue Gas is Renewable/ Sustainable Gas which is biogas that comes from reclamation facilities such as landfills and sewer waste management plants,” states the staff report. “The gas is cleaned and upgraded to the point where it functions exactly as Blue Gas.” Through the third amendment to the original agreement with Clean Energy [CE] will allow for the introduction of Renewable Compressed Natural Gas [R-CNG] at the city yard, for its use with the city’s heavy-duty vehicles. Through the use of R-CNG the city will be able to take advantage of the Federal Alternative Fuel Tax Credit. “These Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Program credits can be sold for funding, but requires extensive tracking, reporting and then sale to interested parties,” states the staff report. “Clean Energy wishes to partner with the City to perform the tracking, reporting and sale of these credits on our behalf.” The agreement states that Clean Energy will pay the City 80 cents on the dollar for every unit See City Council, page 8 See Havana, page 8
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