Industry News

USGBC Sued

Henry Gifford, owner of Gifford Fuel Saving and a public critic of the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification program, has filed a class action lawsuit against the organization and its founders on behalf of "consumers, taxpayers, building design and construction professionals," reports Shari Shapiro, an attorney and LEED Accredited Professional, Green Building Law Blog.

The $100-million lawsuit alleges fraud, unfair competition, deceptive trade practices, and false advertising, among other things.

Gifford alleges that the USGBC has falsely claimed that its rating system makes buildings save energy, and that building owners have spent more money to have their buildings certified, and professionals have gained worthless professional credentials.

Visit www.CleanLink.com/News for more information on this case, as well as additional reports of false green claims.

Seven Tips to Slow the Spread of the Flu

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlined seven tips that will help cleaners slow the spread of the flu.

1. Know the difference between cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing. Cleaning removes germs, dirt and impurities from surfaces or objects. Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects. Sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces or objects to a safe level, as judged by public health standards or requirements.

2. Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are touched often. This means daily sanitizing of surfaces and objects that are touched often, such as desks, countertops, doorknobs, computer keyboards, hands-on learning items, faucet handles and phones.

3. Simply do routine cleaning and disinfecting. It's important to match your cleaning and disinfecting activities to the types of germs you want to remove or kill. Flu viruses are relatively fragile, so standard cleaning and disinfecting practices are sufficient to remove or kill them.

4. Clean and disinfect correctly. Always follow label directions on cleaning products and disinfectants.

5. Practice proper safety protocols. Ensure that the custodial staff who uses cleaners and disinfectants read and understand all instruction labels and understand safe and appropriate use. This might require that instructional materials and training be provided in other languages.

6. Handle waste properly. Follow the facility's standard procedures for handling waste, which may include wearing gloves.

7. Learn more. The CDC offers a number of resources for additional information. Visit www.flu.gov for more information.

EPA Works to Improve Indoor Air Quality

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded 17 cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations and a university, totaling approximately $2.4 million to improve indoor air quality nationwide. Americans spend about 90 percent of their time indoors where levels of air pollution may be two to five times higher than outdoor levels.

The goal is to educate Americans on how to reduce the environmental health risks of indoor contaminants through demonstrations, education, training and outreach efforts. The cooperative agreements will:

• Promote positive indoor air quality management practices in schools nationwide, including holistic approaches to environmental issues.
• Create awareness to reduce asthma triggers and encourage the use of an asthma management plan.
• Increase the number of radon tests, radon-resistant features, and increase mitigation of radon.
• Increase indoor air quality practices in office buildings.