LEED Expands On East Coast

Boston and Washington, D.C., are both making efforts to promote sustainability and green buildings by adopting the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction (LEED-NC) standard.

Under Boston’s proposed Green Building zoning provision, all projects over 50,000 square feet are required to meet the basic level of certification of LEED-NC. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C., has passed green construction legislation that requires all commercial development of 50,000 square feet or greater to meet LEED-NC standards starting in 2012.

Building service contractors can help earn points toward LEED-NC certification through recycling and indoor air quality programs. In addition, implementing a green-cleaning program will help earn points towards the LEED for Existing Building standard if building owners choose to achieve both certifications.

The Green Cleaning Network was recently launched to help better educate the marketplace about the green movement and also eliminate confusion about green cleaning.

“There are a growing number of definitions for green cleaning today. The message to the marketplace about green cleaning is becoming confused because each industry sector defines green cleaning a little differently and is setting requirements for green cleaning programs that are unique to that sector,” stated Stephen Ashkin, president of the Ashkin Group, Bloomington, Ind., in a news release. Ashkin will serve as executive director of the network.

The network will bring together and facilitate the sharing of information among a wide spectrum, including cleaning professionals, facility and property managers, policy makers, advocates and third-party certifiers. The information shared will help serve a number of markets, including commercial office buildings, government buildings, schools and universities, healthcare facilities and hospitality facilities.

The not-for-profit network was founded by the Healthy Schools Campaign, Hospitals for a Healthy Environment, International Executive Housekeepers Association, Responsible Purchasing Network and the U.S. Green Building Council.

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Cleaning staffs from the Newton-Mass.-based Unicco Services Co., servicing several Dow Chemical sites in Freeport, Texas, have collectively surpassed 1,000,000 hours without an OSHA-recordable incident.

Ted Plummer, former president, CEO and owner of Pullman-Holt Corp., Tampa, Fla., passed away on Dec. 21, 2006. From 1974 through 1991, Plummer transitioned White Mop Wringer Co. from a manufacturer of metal fabricated products only to a producer of both metal and plastic floor cleaning equipment. He further expanded the company through the acquisition of Mipro Products in 1976 and Pullman-Holt in 1983.

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