Page 27 - Southern California Gaming Guide • December 2019

EPA Gives WasteWise Award to Santa Ynez Band of Chumash
TIndians and Chumash Casino Resort
he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced it is celebrating 25 years of its WasteWise program which encourages corporations, businesses, educational institutions and governments to set sustainability goals and track progress in preventing and recycling
waste. As one of EPA’s longest-standing partnership programs, WasteWise launched in 1994 and has involved thousands of participants over its 25 years. During the duration of the program, participants have prevented and diverted 247 million tons of materials from going to landfills or incinerators. This has saved participating companies as much as an estimated $11.1 billion in avoided landfill tipping fees, EPA says.
“It’s an honor for our tribe to be recognized by the EPA during America Recycles Week,” said Kenneth Kahn, Tribal Chairman for the Santa
Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. “By forming local partnerships and participating in innovative programs, our Chumash Casino Resort’s facilities department has taken our recycling efforts to new heights. We are proud of our team’s ongoing campaign to further reduce our waste stream and its ability to be an industry leader for recycling in California Indian gaming.”
Chumash Casino Resort has won several EPA awards, including the Food Recovery Challenge award in 2014 and 2016. The EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge partners with over 1,000 organizations and businesses to prevent and reduce wasted food. In 2018, the Chumash Casino Resort donated more than 4 tons—8,478 pounds—of food to Veggie Rescue to improve the nutrition and quality of life for community members struggling with food insecurity by providing healthy meals.
In honor of America Recycles Day on November 15th, EPA gave an award to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and Chumash Casino Resort for its outstanding efforts in recycling, food recovery and moving toward zero waste. The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians owns and operates the Chumash Casino Resort, located on the Tribe’s reservation on Highway 246 in Santa Ynez, California.
In 2018, the Chumash Casino Resort diverted 2,922,307 pounds of waste, representing over 90 percent of its overall waste stream, from local landfills through their successful Zero Waste program. To reach this target, Chumash Casino Resort has formed both local and
national partnerships and participated in several innovative programs to complement its extensive in-house recycling efforts. The Chumash Casino Resort has also been an EPA WasteWise partner since 2008 and has received national WasteWise Partner of the Year awards in 2012 and 2015. EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest, Mike Stoker, recently toured Chumash Casino Resort.
“The Chumash Casino Resort’s zero waste initiatives are making a real difference for the environment,” Stoker said in a news release. “By diverting more than 90 percent of their total waste stream from landfills and sharing their expertise with other tribes, they are true recycling champions.”
Let’s Play a Game of 20 Questions
1. Do you lose time from work due to gambling?
2. Is gambling making your home life unhappy?
3. Is gambling affecting your reputation?
4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
5. Do you ever gamble to get money in order to pay debts or to otherwise solve financial difficulties?
6. Does gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
7. After losing, do you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?
8. After a win, do you have a strong urge to return and win more?
9. Do you often gamble until your last dollar is gone?
10. Do you ever borrow to finance your gambling?
11. Have you ever sold any real or personal property to finance gambling?
12. Are you reluctant to use “gambling money” for normal expenditures?
13. Does gambling make you careless of the welfare of your family?
14. Do you ever gamble longer than you planned?
15. Do you ever gamble to escape worry or trouble?
16. Have you ever considered committing an illegal act to finance gambling?
17. Does gambling cause you difficulty in sleeping?
18. Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?
19. Do you have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?
20. Have you ever considered an act of self-destruction as a result of your gambling?
CALIFORNIA COUNCIL ON PROBLEM
GAMBLING
A statewide, non-profit organization helping people affected by
problem gambling
41743 Enterprise Circle N., Ste. 202 Temecula, CA 92590 Phone: (714) 765-5804
Fax: (951) 266-0072
www.calpg.org help@calpg.org
If you answered “yes” to seven or more of these questions, gambling
If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, gambling
may not be just a game for you anymore. Please call the California
may not be just a game for you. Please call 1-800-GAMBLER, text
Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-GAMBLER for help. “SUPPORT” to 53342, or chat at www.800gambler.chat for help.
DECEMBER 2019
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
PAGE 27
Tribes in the News (Continued)