A majority of voters rejected Green Seal’s final revised draft for GS-37.

Some of the issues met with the most contention included:

Asthmagens: Certain voters contest Green Seal’s continued reliance on the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) list of asthmagens as a basis for prohibiting certain ingredients from being included in cleaning product formulations.

Respiratory Irritants: Voters thought the definition of respiratory irritants was too broad. They recommended that Green Seal adopt the definition used in the Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication (GHS).

Dispensing System Concentrates: The proposed approach to dispensing systems from Green Seal’s proposed approach would allow products tested in “as used,” form not concentrated form in regards to a number of health and environmental criteria.

Prohibited Ingredients: Voters turned down Green Seal’s approach to prohibit heavy metals, 2-butoxyethanol, and pthalates.

Volatile Organic Compound Content: VOC content limitations were contended because it was inconsistent in the calculation of VOC content between summing approach that exempts low vapor pressures and those that do not.

Chronic Inhalation Toxicity: The approach was proposed only a month before the voting closed on GS-37. Industry members opposed the approach because it is too complicated to address in the short time frame necessitated.

 

 

Possible Bill Funds Green School Renovations

 

The 21st Century High-Performing Public School Facilities Act has been approved by the House Education and Labor Committee.

 

Introduced by U.S. Rep Ben Chandler (D-KY), the bill would authorize $6.4 billion for school renovation and modernization projects for the 2009 fiscal year. It will ensure that school districts receive funds for projects that improve schools’ teaching and learning climates, health and safety and energy efficiency.

To entice schools to be energy efficient and use renewable resources, the bill would require that the majority of funds for school improvement projects meet widely recognized green building standards and encourage states to help schools track their energy use and carbon footprints.

 

Report Forecasts Increase In Green Building

 

A report by Frost & Sullivan indicates that by 2015 the green building industry forecasts to bring in $42 billion annually.

 

The report is based on advances of green building products and possible government mandates. Other factors include concerns of global warming and the popularity of the United States Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Program. Green building could soon amount for almost 25 percent of construction in the U.S.

 




POSTED ON: 6/1/2008