Washington, D.C. Gets Greener

The Washington, D.C. Council recently passed a bill requiring all new commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet to meet the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards of the U.S. Green Building Council.

The requirements will take effect in 2012 and apply to new construction and major renovations by private developers as well as city-owned commercial projects. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, the LEED Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. http://www.epa.gov/win/winnews/2007/0701.html#6 For more on LEED and Green Buildings, visit  http://www.usgbc.org/