Farm to School connects schools (K-12) and local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities, and supporting local and regional farmers.

Washington State has a strong network of public and private agencies working together to improve school food and establish links between farms and schools, and to introduce policies to support farm-to-school activities. To check out more information about what Washington State is doing, please click here.

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

http://jaymecarleton.com

Bookmark & Share

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

Making Sustainablity Second Nature™

http://jaymecarleton.com

Article appeared in Sustainable Industries.

Will California do for green buildings what it did for ultra low-emission cars, solar power and locally grown organic chow?

We’ll find out this year as the Golden State’s new dark green building code kicks in. Called the California Green Building Standards Code, or CALGreen, it requires developers to slash the water consumption and waste of all new homes and commercial structures while mandating closer oversight of how the biggest buildings perform.

Fixtures like faucets, toilets and showerheads must use 20 percent less water than they did under the previous standard. And the green code requires the recycling of 50 percent of construction waste, such as scrap wood and drywall, and half the debris from demolitions.

“All of this stuff is creating the potential for new markets,” says Bob Raymer, a senior engineer with the California Building Industry Association, a trade group. “But we have to start building new homes before people can create those niche markets.”

CALGreen doesn’t override more stringent standards imposed by cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. But it does include two voluntary “tiers” that municipalities can adopt to raise energy-efficiency standards by 15 percent or 30 percent.

For commercial buildings greater than 10,000 square feet, the green code orders inspections to ensure heating and cooling systems continue to meet efficiency standards after installation. That’s a key innovation because it addresses how a building does perform, not just how it should perform, says Dave Hewitt of the New Buildings Institute, a Vancouver, Wash., group that focuses on the efficiency of commercial buildings.

He notes that the International Code Council, a Washington, D.C., organization that sets building standards followed by many states, drew on the California model when it recently enacted a standard calling for a 30 percent jump in energy efficiency for residential and commercial buildings.

“It’s important to know that codes are practical and cost-effective,” Hewitt says. “To have one state be out in the lead trying it out shows that it can work. That influences people.”

Washington and Oregon continue to implement stronger-than-average green codes based on California standards. In Washington, new mandates that raise building energy efficiency by as much as 18 percent took effect in January.

But green codes remain “incredibly contentious” in the Pacific Northwest as the construction downturn drags on, according to Kim Drury of the Northwest Energy Coalition, a renewable energy and efficiency advocacy group.

So the focus remains on energy efficiency, where the financial payoff to tenants and building owners is measurable, according to Drury. She says the Northwest states may adopt higher standards for water, waste recycling and low-volatile-organic-compound materials in the next few years – after the pioneers in California try them out in the real world.

Bookmark & Share

This exact situation happened to a local couple and was covered by KOMO News. To avoid contractor liens, insist that the primary contractor disclose the names of all subs and suppliers on your project. Contact the suppliers if they don’t contact you. By law, supplier and sub-contractors must notify you within 10 days of delivering materials to your home or completing work on your project.

When paying for work that involves a supplier or sub-contractor, make your payments by check, payable to both parties. That way both parties must endorse the check to get their money. Withhold final payment until you have a signed lien release from all suppliers and subs.

Washington’s Labor & Industries prepared an excellent handout for you to read, please click here.

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

http://jaymecarleton.com

Bookmark & Share

Multi-Spray Showerhead

From my perspective, I don’t find this new Department of Energy ruling out of line. We as homeowners and builders must protect our natural resources. By reducing the amount of water flow and usage on items such as shower heads, toilets and faucets we have a low cost, easy way to keep our environment’s resources intact.

- Jayme Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

…

What’s Happening from Environmental Building News

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a draft interpretive ruling on the definition of “showerhead” as used in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). Sidestepping public comment procedures, DOE has defined “showerhead” in a way that makes multi-spray systems illegal. The new ruling states that all of the fixtures used in a multi-spray system must, combined, use no more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute.

EPCA, first passed in 1975 and updated several times since then, limits water use by showerheads to 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm; 9.5 lpm) at 80 psi. The law does not, however, specify what a “showerhead” includes, so manufacturers have been able to sell shower systems with multiple heads, each of which conforms to the 2.5 gpm limit. These multi-spray systems can include body sprayers and other fixtures, and sometimes use upwards of 20 gpm (76 lpm). Marketed as a high-end product, with high prices to match, these systems are not installed frequently.

DOE’s ruling came as a surprise to plumbing manufacturers and conservationists alike, since it lacked the public comment process required for substantive rule changes. But DOE considers the ruling an interpretation of an existing law, and thus “exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act,” in its wording.

A letter to DOE from a coalition of industry groups noted: “A change of this magnitude should not be exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act as DOE has asserted.” It also argues that the ruling would affect hand-held showers and other fixtures “used in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and other therapeutic and medical facilities.” Marsha Mazz, the Technical Assistance Coordinator for the U.S. Access Board, disagrees with the assertion that the ruling could adversely affect the showerheads used by the elderly and disabled. “We don’t see it as a disability issue at all,” she said.

Conservation-minded observers worry that the lack of a public comment period will allow manufacturers to find loopholes in the language of the ruling, leading to increased water use. “This is a substantive change and working out all the definitions and conditions to make sure the language is watertight will take a lot of effort from a lot of folks,” said water expert John Koeller, P.E.

– Peter Yost and Allyson Wendt

Bookmark & Share

Last month, remodeling pros across the country began working under the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule that went into effect on April 22, 2010, requiring all remodelers to register with the agency before working in older homes where lead paint is present. In reality, the majority of remodeling firms and contractors are still taking the necessary steps toward full compliance under the RRP rule, such as completing the eight-hour Certified Renovator (CR) training and registering with the EPA as a renovation firm. Companies that support the industry such as Andersen Windows, are helping to solve the problem of too-few training programs. Visit their website to find out how to get training in your area. Or ask your Andersen dealer about hosting such a training event for its customers.

While everyone supports the goals of the program, which is designed to protect children from the toxic effects of lead paint, there are substantial preparation requirements that are challenging remodelers and window replacers. As remodelers continue in good faith toward full compliance with the rules, here are five things firms can be doing right now to make a smooth transition.

1. Get right with the rules immediately, even if the job began before the RRP went into effect. Even if a job was sold or in progress before the rules went live on April 22, all work currently being performed in that home is now governed by the RRP. Remodeling firms and contractors continuing to work on such homes (assuming the presence of lead paint) without having completed the necessary registration and training risk incurring a $37,500 per-violation fine.
2. Research the age of a client’s home before making a sales appointment. The quickest method is to use a third-party service such as HouseAgeCheck.com, a national database of multiple listing services, private real estate postings, foreclosure notices, and tax assessor records, to determine if the home was built before 1978. At time of reporting, HouseAgeCheck.com was charging $1 to $2 per address it checks. Of course, remodelers can always check such public records themselves. Whatever the preference, do not rely solely on the homeowner’s assumption about the age of the residence. Determining the correct age of the home is the contractor’s responsibility, even if the homeowner provided the wrong information.
3. Be prepared to itemize and justify lead-related costs to homeowners. As long as the homeowner understands what the RRP requires of contractors working in older homes, a line-item cost for lead-safe procedures is a reasonable expense to pass on. Firms can break down those on-site costs into categories such as: work area prep, dust containment set-up, dust containment tear down, work area cleaning, and verification and recordkeeping. Soft expenses, such as for employee training and EPA registration, will likely have to be borne by the firms.
4. Get used to keeping detailed records of renovation projects. This paper trail will serve as the firm’s best defense in the case of an audit by the EPA or legal action by a homeowner. The records should provide the following information:
   • The results for any lead-paint testing performed at the beginning of the project.
   • A signed document showing that the homeowner was notified of the dangers of lead paint and given a copy of the EPA pamphlet, “Renovate Right.”
   • The names of the firm’s CR and all contractors working on the project.
   • A checklist indicating all the lead-safe work procedures practiced on the site, such as sign posting, dust containment, mopping, and disposal.
   • The results of any clearance testing at the end of the project indicating that no lead dust was left on the premises.
5. Consider purchasing additional insurance coverage. There is already a history of homeowners filing civil suits against material manufacturers, landlords, and housing groups for exposure to lead-based paint. The arrival of the RRP increases the likelihood that similar suits will be brought against remodelers for unsafe work practices. Extending a firm’s coverage to include “pollution insurance” may be a worthwhile purchase. Currently, insurers are quoting premiums of $1,500 to $3,000 for a $1 million policy, depending on the local insurance market, the size of the remodeling firm, and the amount of work it plans to perform in older homes.

The EPA recommends that firms keep such records for at least three years.

- Jayme Mattson

http://jaymemattson.com

Bookmark & Share

Remodeling members of NAHB have visited Capitol Hill and the White House in recent weeks in an effort to delay the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s implementation of new Lead Safe Work Practices for contractors working on older homes.

The EPA only began certifying trainers for the regulation last July, and with the new rules set to go into effect in a matter of weeks — on April 22 — there are still only a small number around the country who are qualified to teach contractors and their subs what they need to do to comply.

The regulation currently would apply to work in homes built before 1978 and inhabited by children under age six or pregnant women. However, the EPA is seeking to amend the regulation so that it would apply to all pre-1978 homes.

In testimony on March 11 before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Connecticut remodeler Bob Hanbury, CGR, said that the EPA’s regulation could derail a highly anticipated program to make existing homes more energy-efficient before it even gets started.

Contractors will be required to have at least one certified and trained worker on each job site, and the same will apply for subcontractors. With training in very short supply, the vast majority of contractors will be prevented from retrofitting homes — including energy-efficiency upgrades — where there may be lead if the EPA’s regulation is implemented as scheduled.

This, in turn, would undermine the effectiveness of pending Senate legislation — the Home Star Act of 2010 — that would initiate a program designed to provide home owners with incentives to undertake insulation and other weatherization projects.

NAHB economists estimate that every $1 billion in remodeling and home improvement activity generates 11,000 jobs, $527 million in wages and salaries, and $300 million in business income, making these incentives a big boost for the economy as well as energy efficiency.

“NAHB strongly supports incentives to retrofit older homes and buildings to improve energy efficiency and performance,” Hanbury said. “But to make such a program work, the April 22 deadline for compliance with the EPA lead rule must be extended.”

Roughly 79 million homes constructed before 1978 are subject to the Lead Renovation, Repair and Repainting Rule, Hanbury said, even though the EPA itself has estimated that only about half of them actually contain lead paint.

“Consumer awareness of this regulation is negligible at best, and with the intensive media coverage that will undoubtedly accompany Home Star, home owners will rush to call contractors to perform efficiency upgrades in older housing, not realizing that many of those contractors could be doing the work illegally if they are not EPA-certified,” Hanbury pointed out.

The EPA has estimated that more than 236,000 remodelers, window installers, painters, heating and air-conditioning specialists and other trade contractors must be trained to ensure compliance with the rule. These contractors must complete eight hours of training, pay a certification fee and employ lead-safe work practices.

As of mid-March, only about 50,000 people had been certified, and there were six states in which there were no trainers.

With only 135 firms throughout the country approved to offer the training courses, it will be impossible for the remaining contractors to complete the required training before the April 22 deadline, Hanbury said. An influx of new retrofit jobs under a Home Star-style program would only increase the demand for trained and certified contractors.

“NAHB looks forward to working with you to create a successful retrofit program that provides equal access for all qualified and properly-trained contractors and a true incentive to renovate the oldest, least-efficient housing stock,” Hanbury told the committee.

“We also support the lead paint rule and fully agree with the importance of the safe work practices the rule describes,” Hanbury said. “But at present, it looks like the only way that many of our members will be able to comply is to avoid working in these older homes so we don’t break the law. In an environment where improving energy efficiency and creating jobs are national priorities, that makes no sense at all.”

Remodeler Leaders Visit White House

On March 16, NAHB Remodelers Chairman Donna Shirey, CGR, CAPS, CGP, along with Hanbury, visited the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to urge them to advise the Environmental Protection Agency to delay the lead renovation and repair rules and proposed amendment going into effect on April 22.

The proposed amendment would remove the “opt out” provision from the lead paint regulation that allows the owners of homes where no children under age six or pregnant women reside to sign a waiver exempting the remodeler from the requirements.

This change would increase the number of homes subject to the rule to 78 million units; by the EPA’s own estimates, fewer than 40 million homes are contaminated with lead paint.

During the meeting Shirey and Hanbury discussed the challenges to their businesses and the remodeling industry as a whole due to the economic downturn.

“Clients have smaller budgets today and are scaling back on what they will do,” Shirey told OMB staff members.  Adding more, expensive requirements to these smaller jobs (window manufacturers estimate that it will add $100 to the replacement cost of each window) “will further harm my business,” she said.

Shirey also told officials about her conversation with a Montana remodeler who has already lost two job bids because of the additional costs of complying with the rule.

NAHB also presented economic research about the ailing remodeling market and the large costs of removing the opt-out option for home owners while providing little, if any, benefit for children at risk of lead exposure in these homes.

According to the EPA, the 2008 lead rule will affect 1.5 million professional remodeling jobs. Removing the opt-out provision would affect an additional 7.2 million jobs.

The EPA used different models to estimate the cost and health benefits of each job so that it would appear that the costs would be dwarfed by the benefits, when in fact the opposite is more likely, the NAHB research found.

Additionally, NAHB questioned whether the EPA has fulfilled its responsibilities to consider the amendment’s harm to businesses; the agency did not convene a small business advisory review panel or explore other alternatives to removing the opt-out provision.

Shirey and Hanbury also pointed out the conflict between implementation of the lead paint rule with the President’s commitment to retrofits and energy efficiency — a consideration that the OMB is obligated to address.

They also reiterated NAHB’s support for lead paint work practices to protect young children.

“I want to be clear. We are not opposed to the rule,” Shirey said. “Ninety percent of our members are aware of the rule through marketing efforts of NAHB.

“We are here today because we believe there is insufficient training capacity to comply with the rule by April 22, 2010.”

- Jayme Mattson

http://jaymemattson.com

Bookmark & Share

If you would like to read about the EPA regulation, please see the below links:
http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/leadinfo.htm#remodeling
http://www.nahbregistration.com/generic.aspx?genericContentID=118467

What you need to know:
Beginning in April 2010, firms working in pre-1978 homes will need to be certified. Along with the firm certification, an employee will also need to be certified as a Certified Renovator. This employee will be responsible for training other employees and overseeing work practices and cleaning. The training curriculum is an eight-hour class with two hours of hands-on training. Both the firm and Certified Renovator certifications are valid for five years. A Certified Renovator must take a four-hour refresher course to be recertified.

Training classes:

Private Facility: TM4 Group will be offering the class at a reduced rate for all ResCon Safety Group attendees. A PDF is attached for the class registration which has our group’s special code for easy identification. The discounted rate for our group is $220 per person, down from the original cost of $250. (Click this link for the form: Registration Form for RRP ClassRescon).

MBA: The MBA is teaching this class – register online. This eight-hour course trains renovation, repair and painting contractors how to work safely in housing with lead-based paint and comply with EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule and HUD’s Lead Safe Housing Rule. Topics include health concerns; regulations; before, during and after work procedures; record keeping; and training non-certified workers. This training is required for any contractor who is involved in any construction activity that now has or will have the potential to contact lead-based paint. Cost: $250 MBA Members / $300 Non-MBA Members

Please let me know if you need further assistance.

- Jayme Mattson

http://jaymemattson.com

Bookmark & Share

For those of us in Bellevue/Seattle who cross 520 every day, here is some information for you!

OLYMPIA (AP) — The state House has approved a plan to expand the way tolls can be spent on the state Route 520 replacement project.

The bill was endorsed on a 78-19 vote. It heads over to the state Senate for further debate.

Originally, tolls collected for the 520 project were only supposed to be spent on the main bridge itself. The changes approved Tuesday would allow tolls to pay for additional projects that are considered part of the overall 520 replacement.

The House version also seeks to limit the bridge’s height to 20 feet. The height of the new bridge is one of the elements at the center of political fights over the design of the 520 replacement.

- Jayme Mattson

http://jaymemattson.com

Bookmark & Share

Energy Efficiency - Tenants AWARE

A new consumer label that would grade all commercial buildings according to their energy efficiency is being developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Known for its development of commercial building code standards, the society’s label would measure both the design efficiency and operational performance of buildings, similar to the government’s Energy Star program. ASHRAE said it would eventually like to expand the label to include property types not covered by Energy Star. If that effort is successful, ASHRE indicated it would push for an international expansion.

For more information visit www.ashrae.org.

So, what does this mean for you?!?

Well – with a new standard comes a new market opportunity. Buildings which certify under the new building energy label will be leaders in the market place. Tenants will be looking for this label because they want to know that the building they are leasing space in is energy compliant and energy efficient. With rising energy costs, this is one of the top concerns in our market.

- JM

www.secondnatureconsulting.com

Bookmark & Share

Green Roofs - The New Roof

I have always been a fan of green roofs. To see this bylaw passed made my day!

In a May 27th newsletter by Building Design and Construction there was an announcement by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities that the city of Toronto has passed a new green roof by-law with overwhelming support. The green roof by-law consists of a green roof construction standard and a mandatory requirement for green roofs on all classes of new buildings. The by-law requires up to 50% green roof coverage on multi-unit residential dwellings over six stories, schools, non-profit housing, and commercial and industrial buildings. Larger residential projects require greater green roof coverage, ranging anywhere from 20-50% of the roof area.

“Toronto’s by-law provides a new opportunity to strengthen the emerging practice of integrated green building design,” said Steven W. Peck, president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, which supported the by-law against pressure from developers opposed to the policy. “The by-law breaks new ground on how to structure a mandatory green roof requirement and the construction standard also contains important best practices that may prove to be a model for other cities.”

Chicago remains the city with the largest number of green roofs installed, according to GHRC’s Annual Green Roof Industry Survey released last week. The mandatory by-law in Toronto may change that, resulting in approximately 50 to 75 new projects annually.

Please see www.citiesalive.org for more details!

-JM

www.secondnatureconsulting.com

Bookmark & Share