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More Resources—Green Building

General Information

EPA Green Building Website
Portal to numerous EPA websites covering green building issues including Energy Star, Indoor Air, Water, C&D Debris, Brownfields, Smart Growth and more.

US Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building (USGBC) is a non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building practices. USGBC is composed of more than 12,000 organizations from across the building industry that are working to advance structures that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work.

USBC Local Chapter Locator
USGBC Chapters provide local green building resources, education, and leadership opportunities. Get involved in your local chapter to connect with green building experts in your area; share strategies, resources, and best practices; tour green building projects; and more.

Whole Building Design Guide
A portal used by Federal agencies and others for design infomration for public and commercial buildings.

P2RX Topic Hubs—Residential Construction
This primer is intended as a quick guide to the essential P2 information on residential construction, as well as a compilation of pertinent on-line resources.

Building Better Communities: A Toolkit for Quality Growth
This toolkit provides information, talking points, and case studies on methods to: relieve traffic congestion, preserve undeveloped space in neighborhoods, accommodate residential and commercial growth through the use of transportation facilities, and improve air quality. It also provides a list of outside information resources on transportation issues and step-by-step instructions for developing a campaign to improve mobility in one's own growing community.

Associated General Contractors of America Environmental Services Webpage
The GREEN CONSTRUCTION page provides information on environmental management systems (EMSs), green construction and recycling, the LEED® Green Building Rating System, and AGC's role in EPA's National Environmental Performance Track Program.

Green Building: A Primer for Builders, Consumers, and Realtors
Green Buildings are really resource efficient buildings and are very energy efficient, utilize construction materials wisely -- including recycled, renewable, and reused resources to the maximum extent practical -- are designed, constructed and commissioned to ensure they are healthy for their occupants, are typically more comfortable and easier to live with due to lower operating and owning costs, and are good for the planet. The overall environmental impact of new building and community development and the choices made when we either reuse or demolish existing structures is very important.

"Growing Greener: Conservation Subdivision Design" Article by Randall Arendt
Subdivision regulations are one of the principal tools for shaping our communities. It is through the subdivision review process that communities most directly assure that residential development is designed in a way which promotes community objectives such as the preservation of open space and natural areas.

Resource Efficient Residential Construction: Industry Web Directory
The Peaks to Prairies Residential Environment Web Site provides the following services: . Technical Assistance and Referrals . Industry Contacts . Database of Resources and Publications . News . Events Calendar . Frequently Asked Questions

MCET: Environmentally Sound Practices in the Homebuilding Industry
You can order this video training package has been prepared for use by developers, homebuilders, architects and planners, and local government plan approval authorities to train their staffs in the basic principles of pollution prevention and environmental compliance for homebuilding projects. Topic areas include the environmental impacts of homebuilding, best management practices for habitat preservation and stormwater management, as well as best management practices for erosion and sediment control.

Managing Your Environmental Responsibilities (MYER) - A Planning Guide for Construction and Development This document explains in detail the environmental obligations that construction companies can face across the various federal laws (stormwater, air, wetlands, waste...). Use it to factor in costs during the bidding process, assign responsibilities and use the checklists to self-audit.

Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network
The Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN) website provides a comprehensive resource for DOE's energy efficiency and renewable energy information, plus access to more than 600 links and 80,000 documents.

Energy Star
The program promotes partnerships with homebuilders, office building managers, product manufacturers, and many other organizations to improve the energy efficiency of homes, buildings, and various building components and appliances. Specific programs are available for labeling buildings that meet EnergyStar criteria. Specific building sectors covered include commercial, new homes, schools, and home improvement.

Green Power Partnership
A new voluntary program designed to reduce the environmental impact of electricity generation by promoting renewable energy from a variety of sources, including landfill gas. The Partnership will demonstrate the advantages of choosing renewable energy, provide objective and current information about the green power market, and reduce the transaction costs of acquiring green power.

Clean Energy-Environment Guide to Action Policies, Best Practices, and Action Steps for States.
The Clean Energy-Environment Guide to Action is a cornerstone of EPA's Clean Energy-Environment State Partnership, a voluntary program to help states incorporate clean energy into a low-cost, clean, and reliable energy system. The Guide to Action provides in-depth information about 16 clean energy policies and programs that states are using to meet their energy, environmental, and economic objectives.

Water Usage

American Water Works Waterwiser Clearinghouse
This American Water Works Association (AWWA) clearinghouse on water conservation and efficiency information has a listing of the most current, applicable water conservation and efficiency materials available.

EPA's New WaterSense Program
WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Its mission is to protect the future of our nation's water supply by promoting and enhancing the market for water-efficient products and services. Saving water is easy—many products are already available for use, and it doesn't require changing the way most of us live or do business. By choosing products labeled through the WaterSense program, you know you'll be saving wate for future generations.

Water Conservation

Building Materials

Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) version 4.0. A new software tool for selecting environmentally preferred, cost-effective building products is now available. It updates data on more than 200 products and adds 30 new products for review. It also offers users the option of a new set of consensus weights for scoring the environmental impact of individual building products, based on a BEES stakeholder panel convened last year.

Green Seal
Green Seal is the independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the environment by promoting the manufacture and sale of environmentally responsible consumer products. It sets environmental standards and awards a "Green Seal of Approval" to products that cause less harm to the environment than other similar products.

Peaks to Prairies Residential Construction Technical Assistance
Resource efficient building practices will allow residential construction professionals to meet consumer demand, increase profits, provide savings for the consumer and enhance marketing opportunities while using resources in a sustainable manner.

GreenSpec/EPA CPG Recycled Content Project
This database of green specifications includes more than 1,650 product vendor listings that EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guideline products flagged and added information on EPA Region 9 major metropolitan area product availability. This industry-standard green building information is used by approximately 10,000 subscribers and more than 7,500 web hits are recorded monthly.

Green Janitorial Products
Region 8 <http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp/pubs/cleaning.pdf>, Region 9 <http://www.westp2net.org/Janitorial/jp4.cfm>. Projects promoting the use of less toxic janitorial cleaning procedures and products. Mercury can be present as a contaminant (rather than intentionally added) in these products and some chlorine bleach is made using mercury processing, causing mercury to remain in the bleach.

Indoor Environments

EPA's Indoor Environments Division conducts numerous research and educational projects to improve indoor environmental quality, including indoor air and other factors affecting building occupant health, comfort, and productivity.

Healthy Indoor Air for America’s Homes
A national consumer education program concerned with improving the quality of indoor air in homes. Program increases awareness of indoor air quality issues such as radon, secondhand smoke, asthma, lead, combustion gases and carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, molds and other biologicals, asbestos, and air hazards associated with home remodeling, carpeting and household products.

Health House Advantage (American Lung Association)
A nationally recognized program for raising the standards of residential air quality and energy efficiency.

Building Sectors

EPA Financing for Environmental Compliance
A step-by-step financial planning process that can help your community determine capital asset technical and financial needs and find available air, waste and water resources to meet your compliance goals.

Green Highways Partnership. GHP is a voluntary, public/private initiative that is revolutionizing our nation's transportation infrastructure. Through concepts such as integrated planning, regulatory flexibility, and market-based rewards, GHP seeks to incorporate environmental streamlining and stewardship into all aspects of the highway lifecycle.

Green Infrastructure. Green infrastructure is a cost effective and environmentally friendly approach to reduce stormwater and other excess flows entering combined or separate sewer systems. Green infrastructure is a way to protect surface waters and drinking water supplies, reduce drinking water and stormwater treatment costs, reduce urban heat island impacts, and provide more sustainable water resource management systems.

Green Guide for Health Care™.
A best practice guide for healthy and sustainable building design, construction, and operations for the healthcare industry.

Public Transit: Sustainable Transit Development - Bay Area Rapid Transit
Type of Project: Innovations Work Group/Grant. Project with a major U.S. transit authority will research and demonstrate specific green practices that transit authorities can implement to directly reduce waste, increase recycling, and use environmentally preferable building materials.

Healthy Schools

Collaborative for High-Performance Schools—www.CHPS.net

LEED Resources
Find all the resources you need to help you achieve LEED certification, inlcuding reference guides for each rating system, templates for submitting projects' documentation, other reference documents, and the tools you need to keep your projects' status up-to-date.

Federal Environmental Executive - Federal Green Building
The Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE) has made the greening of Federal facilities one of their top priorities. OFEE has begun researching existing Federal green building practices and developing options to facilitate the greening of more Federal facilities.

H2E Greenbuildings
The construction and use of buildings consumes 3 million tons of raw materials annually and consumes 40% of all energy. Building design choices can have a major impact on the health of occupants, the surrounding community and the global ecosystem. Green building design can help reduce operating cost, while making a health care facility a healthier place for patients and staff, and more sustainable for the environment.

Deconstruction/Recycling Building Materials

The Lifecycle Building Challenge. The annual, national competition focused on building material reuse is sponsored by the EPA, along with the American Institute of Architects and other great organizations.

The Building Material Reuse Association: www.buildingreuse.org

The Reuse People: www.thereusepeople.org

Characterization of Building-Related Construction and Demolition Debris in the United States
The purpose of this report is to characterize the quantity and composition of building-related construction and demolition (C&D) debris generated in the United States, and to summarize the waste management practices for this waste stream. C&D debris is produced when new structures are built and when existing structures are renovated or demolished. Structures include all residential and nonresidential buildings as well as public works projects, such as streets and highways, bridges, piers, and dams. Many state definitions of C&D debris also include trees, stumps, earth, and rock from the clearing of construction sites. (94 pages)

Building Savings: Strategies for Waste Reduction of Construction and Demolition Debris from Buildings
The Waste Reduction Record-Setters Project fosters the development of exceptional waste reduction programs by documenting successful ones. These programs can be used as models by others implementing their own programs to reduce disposal. This fact sheet packet is aimed at local governments that want to encourage more building-related construction and demolition debris recovery, building owners and developers interested in green building design, and building contractors seeking a competitive edge.

Toolbase Services: Construction Waste Management Web Site
The Home Building Industry's Technical Information Resource

Deconstruction Assessment Tools and Technical Training Projects, Gainesville, FL
EPA awarded a series of grants to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the University of Florida's Center for Construction and Environment to enhance markets for C&D debris and foster deconstruction.

Wood Framed House Deconstruction and Reuse, Gainesville, FL
Project will conduct research, demonstration, and education project deconstructing a typical wood-framed house in Gainesville, FL, and designing and reconstructing its constituent materials into new neighborhood building projects. The project is expected to recover 60% of the house's materials, resulting in the elimination of 27 tons of C&D waste that would have otherwise gone to a landfill.

Public Building Deconstruction and Reuse, San Francisco Bay Area, CA
The Materials for the Future facilitated deconstruction projects at 4 project sites to divert approximately 1877 tons of material, create 181 deconstruction jobs with associated job training, provided technical assistance on deconstruction to 13 organizations, and leverage more than $600,000 in job training and community development funding. The project resulted in the development of Community Woodworks, a nonprofit urban mill producing products from deconstructed lumber in Oakland, CA.

WasteWise Building Challenge
WasteWise is an EPA voluntary partnership program that helps U.S. organizations reduce their solid waste, benefitting both their bottom line and the environment. In early 2002, WasteWise launched a Building Challenge that challenges partners to reduce, reuse, and recycle C&D debris and purchase recycled building products.

Asphalt Shingle Recycling
Developed through a grant from EPA Region 5 to the Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA), with technical support from the University of Florida, this site provides extensive information on asphalt shingle recycling, including research results, market data, regulatory information, and additional links

Converting Wood Pallet Waste-to-Flooring
Tests the feasibility of converting wood pallets at the end of their useful life into value-added flooring products. The funds will support the actual start-up of the new pallet flooring product line by providing technical expertise, developing partnerships with retail building suppliers, and monitoring the supply chain and customer feedback. The funds also will be used for public education and information dissemination via case studies, web publishing, and professional journal articles to assist in project replication in other regions.

Residential Reuse Program, Phoenix, AZ
Stardust Building Supplies, Inc., a nonprofit organization, review demolition and renovation permits, and contacted realtors to provide deconstruction services. The organization diverts reusable building materials from landfills and offers them to nonprofit housing and shelter groups and the public at discounted rates.

Construction and Demolition Debris Source Reduction and Recycling Project, Santa Barbara, CA
The Community Environmental Council worked with a team of stakeholders develop and implement model construction and demolition debris recycling guidelines. Three pilot projects with construction and demolition diversion rates of 83%, 93%, and 86% were conducted and fact sheets were developed.

Mercury Thermostats
Promoting the use of reliable, mercury-free electronic thermostats and switches for electrical equipment and recycling of old thermostats and switches.

Removing Mercury/PCBs From Light Fixtures (Flourescent Tubes)
<http://www.epa.gov/reg5rcra/wptdiv/wastemin/mercfin.pdf>
<http://www.epa.gov/region09/p2/projects/pcbs.html>
Flourescent tubes contain mercury and low-mercury flourescent tubes are available for many applications.

Drum Top Crushing Device Policy for Flourescent Lamps
Data on mercury and other emissions from the use of DTC devices is being collected to develop a national policy on the use of DTC devices. The use of DTC devices for managing fluorescent lamps has been subject to inconsistent regulatory determinations, in part, because there isn't a clear national strategy for controlling emissions from these devices. A clear policy directed at protecting human health and the environment should help reduce mercury emissions.

RCRA Federal Facility Buy Recycled Requirement
Requirement for Federal agencies to buy EPA-designated recycled building materials. Administrative penalties are not authorized, but EPA and State RCRA and multi-media inspectors can issue a notice of violation or enter into a compliance agreement.

Specifications/Codes

Seattle/King County: Designing Specifications and Waste Management Plans
Designing Specifications and Waste Management Plans. While you can prevent and recycle waste in nearly every phase of the construction project, the best time to start planning is at the very beginning.

Growing Greener: Conservation by Design
Communities across Pennsylvania are realizing that they can conserve their special open spaces and natural resources at the same time they achieve their development objectives. The tools? Conservation zoning and conservation subdivision design, an approach we're calling Growing Greener.

Model Green Construction Specifications on the Whole Building Design Guide
Developing model construction specification language to assist federal agencies in meeting green goals and mandates (e.g., CPG, EnergyStar, E.O. 13101, LEED, EPA Waste Minimization Priority Chemicals, NTTAA, etc.).

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standards
The Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Program has been working to engage nongovernmental standards-developing organizations in developing environmental standards. Specifically, there has been a great deal of success in ASTM's Performance of Buildings Committee. The Subcommittee on Sustainability is focusing its efforts on revising E2129 "Standard Practice for Data Collection for Sustainability Assessment of Building Products" to include questions specific to certain types of building products such as cement, wood, HVAC systems, and floor coverings. The intended audience for the standard includes building industry professionals -- architects, engineers, contractors, planners, developers, and others -- who possess a broad, general understanding of sustainability issues relative to the performance of buildings, but who would benefit from additional data to inform their product choices. Other efforts within this ASTM Subcommittee include the development of a Standard Guide laying out general principles of sustainability (economic, environmental, and social) as it relates to building, and a Standard Practice for assessing, documenting, and reporting sustainability as it relates to building.

EPA Green Buildings
EPA facilities and green features are listed. Many EPA green building and lease projects are ongoing.

EPA Green Lease Riders

Region 7 Green Lease Rider

Kansas City Science and Technology Center Green Lease Rider
Green lease rider language that has been successfully developed and implemented by EPA/GSA teams for leasing healthier, greener EPA facilities.

Research Triangle Park Green Building
Which includes general project documentation and technical specifications.

Organizations

NAHB Research Center Green Buildings Fact Sheet

US Green Building Council
The leading coalition representing the green building industry, developing the Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System, and providing policy guidance, education, and marketing tools. EPA supports program development, participates on LEED content development, promotes LEED training, and participates in local Chapters.

National Association of Homebuilders Research Center (NAHBRC)
NAHBRC supports residential green building helping the home building industry to understand the "how" and "why" about this trend, providing training, and developing reference documents and tools. EPA has supported NAHBRC research and training.

State-specific Information

California Green Building Design and Construction Web Site
This web site offers a lot of information on sustainable design or building "green". Includes are a Sustainable Building Tool Kit, a blueprint for state facilities, a review of construction projects using sustainable materials, training programs for state and local government, and much more.

Connecticut DEP: Management of Residential Construction Waste for the Single-Family Home Building Contractor
Green Building: Management of Residential Construction Waste for The Single Family Home Building Contractor

State of Hawaii Minimizing Construction and Demolition Wastes (July 2007)

Vermont DEC: Reducing Vermont's Construction Waste Stream
Guide to Reducing Vermont's Construction Waste with links to: Fall 2002 Waste Reduction Grants Available Salvaged walk-in cooler doors, McFarland House renovation, Barre, VT. Engelberth Construction Corp. Vermont Markets for Reusable, Salvaged and Recyclable Materials New Hampshire Markets Massachusetts Markets ANR Waste Reduction Plan - ACT 250 permit application, schedule B, criterion 1B (o) - State Buildings and General Services Recycling Planning Calculating the Cost Effectiveness of Job Site Recycling Contract Specification Language for Job Site Waste Reduction Planning for Waste Reduction Vermont Jobsite Case Studies Green Building Resources Links to other states & National Associations Vermont Construction Waste Management Reports Vermont Business Materials Exchange

University of Maryland Bioretention Research Web site

Seattly/King County: 2002-2003 Contractors Guide (PDF, 1,313 K)
Contains valuable information on how to prevent jobsite waste, calculate the cost-effectiveness of jobsite recycling, create design specifications and waste management plans, choose a recycling program and make your program successful.

Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance Green Building Resources

Low Impact Development

EPA Green Infrastructure Website
An informational site on green infrastructure techniques, which utilize natural systems, or engineered systems that mimic natural landscapes, to capture, cleanse and reduce stormwater runoff using plants, soils and microbes.

EPA Urban BMP Performance Tool
New web-based tool provides stormwater professionals with easy access to approximately 220 studies assessing the performance of over 275 stormwater post construction BMPs. The Tool provides access to studies covering a variety of traditional and low impact BMP types, including retention and detention ponds, biofilters, grassed filter strips, porous pavenment, wetlands, and others. Users will also find a series of essays aimed at improving understanding of BMP performance and the importance of volume reduction/infiltration in these assessments. EPA plans to add more studies to this Tool over the coming year, focusing on expanding the collection of studies of low impact development or green infrastructure BMPs.

Reduce Cost by Using Low Impact Development Practices
(Publication No. EPA 841-F-0-006, Dec. '07) This report provides infomration to cities, counties, states, private-sector developers and other on the costs and benefits of using Low Impact Development (LID) strategies and practices to help protect and restore water quality.

Rooftops to Rivers—Green Stategies for Controlling Stormwater and Combined Sewer Overflows.
This May 2006 report is a policy guide for decision makers looking to implement green strategies in their own area, including nine case studies of cities that have successfully used green techniques to create a healthier urban environment.

Smart Growth
This EPA site provides information on various smart growth topics, and links to other helpful websites. Three EPA publications described and linked at this site are: Using Smart Growth Techniques as Stormwater Best Management Practices, 2005 (EPA 231-B-05-002); Protecting Water Resources with Higher-Density Development, 2006 (EPA 231-R-06-001); and Parking Spaces/Community Places: Finding Balance through Smart Growth Solutions, 2006 (EPA 231-K-06-001)

Compendium of Smart Growth and Water Resources
This list of resources provides links to websites that concentrate on joint land use and stormwater management programs.

Low Impact Development (LID): A Literature Review
A literature review was conducted to determine the availability and reliability of data to assess the effectiveness of low impact development (LID) practices for controlling stormwater runoff volume and reducing pollutant loadings to receiving waters.

The Low Impact Development Center, Inc. Web Site

"Low Impact Development: A New Paradigm for Stormwater Management"
(Price George's County, MD: slideshow)

Landscaping

P2RX Topic Hubs—Landscaping
This primer is intended as a quick guide to the essential P2 information on landscaping, as well as a compilation of pertinent on-line resources.

EPA Greenscapes
The US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) GreenScapes program provides cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for large-scale landscaping. Designed to help preserve natural resources and prevent waste and pollution, GreenScapes encourages companies, government agencies, and other entities to make more holistic decisions regarding waste generation and disposal and the associated impacts on land, water, air, and energy use. By focusing on the "4 Rs"- reduce, reuse, recycle, and rebuy - you can help improve both your bottom line and the environment.

Water Efficient Landscaping. This booklet describes the benefits of water efficient landscaping. It includes several examples of successful projects and programs, as well as contacts, references, and a short bibliography.

Directories

Sustainable Sources
Provides a green building professionals directory, listing of green real estate, sustainable sources bookstore and information on green building solutions.

Design Guides

Whole Building Design Guide
The Whole Building Design Guide is a complete Internet resource to a wide range of building-related design guidance, criteria and technology.