News ReleaseCity of Long Beach Public Information Office
333 W. Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802

11/7/2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE #CM:110707
Subject :

Long Beach Moving Forward with Green Building Programs
Contact :Angela Reynolds, Planning and Building Department    570.6357
City Council directives to develop "Green Building" programs are moving forward with the aim of making Long Beach an even more environmentally sustainable City.  

"Thanks to the leadership of the Mayor and City Council, these initiatives will help the City of Long Beach continue to take a leadership position in environmental sustainability," said Suzanne Frick, Director of Planning and Building.

A special "Green Ribbon" Committee has developed a proposed Green Building Policy for private development, which will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration and adoption. The committee included stakeholders from the design, development and builder communities, who worked with Global Green USA, a non-profit organization that helps cities develop Green Building policies.

Green Building is an emerging practice whereby buildings are designed and built to use less energy and water; maximize use of recycled and local materials; and be more healthy and comfortable for their occupants. 

The Green Building program for private development will complement the City’s existing Green Building policy for municipal buildings, which led to the construction of the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-Certified building in the City, the new Mark Twain Library.

The second program known as "C&D," for Construction and Demolition, will require that certain projects recycle or reuse at least 60% of the debris generated from new construction or demolition projects. A majority of construction debris, such as concrete, brick, wood and metal can be reused or recycled into new building material, which saves natural resources, energy and landfill space. 

This new program began on Monday, November 5. This is already a common practice in many cities statewide, and will contribute to Long Beach improving one of the highest waste-diversion rates in the United States, currently reported at 66 percent.

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