After nearly five years of deliberations, the Federal Trade Commission has released its revised "Green Guides," which are aimed at environmental marketing claims.
The guidelines were first introduced in 1992 and updated in 1996 and 1998. (For more history and context for the Green Guides, we invite you to read the FTC’s 314-page
Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court handed down a unanimous decision in the closely watched case of Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. To read about the Sackett decision and its potential effect on the construction industry, follow today’s post….
Continue Reading Supreme Court’s Decision in Sackett v. EPA May Assist Construction Projects
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA), healthcare facility owners and organizations spend nearly $8.8 billion on energy each year to meet patient needs. To improve energy efficiency, thousands of hospitals rely on the EPA’s Energy Star tools to help track consumption and prioritize facilities for energy upgrades.
Last week, EPA released an important
Earlier this week, I received an alert that "Five AIA Contract Documents are going green!" Developed using AIA’s flagship documents as a base, and incorporating concepts and model language from the AIA’s Guide for Sustainable Projects, the new documents address the unique roles, risks and opportunities encountered on sustainable design and construction projects.
“The development
Timing is everything! As I was preparing for a LEED for Healthcare presentation this week, one of my partners sent me a piece about the innovative use of "pods" to cut building costs. The article by Mike Boyer focused on a team of two plumbing and mechanical contracting firms who want to transform how
My transition to a new law firm has come with a few new perks, such as working with a tight-knit group of construction and environmental lawyers who practice both nationally and internationally.
One of our bright young stars, Lauran Sturm, recently compiled a comprehensive list of global codes and standards governing sustainable design and
Initially filed as a class action suit in October 2010 against the USGBC, Henry Gifford’s lawsuit took a turn this week when he filed an amended complaint. The original lawsuit alleged violations of the Sherman and Lanham Acts for “deceiving users” of the LEED rating system. The lawsuit questioned whether "LEED buildings use less energy than conventionally-built
In what has been unofficially called LEED 2012, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) opened the first public comment period from November 8, 2010 to January 14, 2011 for the next version of the LEED rating system. Yes, that means the first public comment period closes this Friday.
According to the USGBC’s LEED Rating Development page
When asked about potential cost overruns on the Music City Center almost year ago, the Center’s representative Larry Atema stated bluntly, "There aren’t going to be any." True to that commitment, Anne Paine of the Tennessean reported this past weekend that the Center’s "green roof has grown less green."
According to the article
Today’s guest post is by fellow Stites attorney Bill Gorton, who acts as national counsel to numerous clients on natural resource, environmental regulatory and land and water resources matters. He has been counsel in the development of over 10 power plants. If you have questions, you can contact Bill by email or phone