Nashville, Tenn., Adopts LEED Standards

The Metro Council of Nashville, Tenn., has approved legislation that requires the city to construct and renovate its buildings to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The law applies to buildings and additions costing more than $2 million or that have at least 5,000 gross square feet of occupied space. The new regulations will apply to projects for which planning starts after July 31, 2007.

Members of the USGBC Middle Tennessee Chapter lobbied for the legislation and see opportunity for expansion and improvement. Phillip Nappi, USGBC member and president of Tennessee Waste, a LEED-certified hauler and recycler of C&D debris, says, “This ordinance is a step in the right direction. We anticipate strengthening of this ordinance in the future as well as LEED certification for future commercial and private construction projects in Nashville.”

According to the Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA), C&D debris accounts for 350 million tons of material each year in the U.S. alone.

More information about Tennessee Waste is available at www.tennwaste.com. More information about the USGBC and the LEED program is available at www.usgbc.org.