SS 3 - Credit for LEED - Brownfield Redevelopment

Good Friday morning to all,

This post will be about developing a project in an area that is presently contaminated.
aka a Brownfield Area

The Leed Point system will give a project a LEED point for the remediation process to help clean the site and prepare it for New Construction.

"Rehabilitate damaged sites where development is complicated by environmental contamination, reducing pressure on undeveloped land."
LEED definition of point
Develop on a site documented as contaminated (by means of an ASTM E1903-97 Phase II Environmental Site Assessment or a local Voluntary Cleanup Program) OR on a site defined as a brownfield by a local, state or federal government agency.

Here is a link to purchase this document from the
ASTM E1903-97 Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
(American Society for Testing and Materials)
http://www.astm.org/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/DATABASE.CART/REDLINE_PAGES/E1903.htm?E+mystore

An owner may find tax incentives for this type of project and award a LEED point which may make developing it more attractive. As with anything involving tax breaks consult your accountant before you proceed with the idea of a tax break. Tax laws change every year and I believe they are changing right now.

Below find some text from the AIA (American Institute of Architects) I just received yesterday

"The House passed an economic stimulus bill earlier this week that did not include these incentives. The Senate will vote soon on its package, and many lawmakers want to strip out provisions not in the House bill. Therefore, we need to make an urgent push to ask Congress to include these tax incentives in the final stimulus bill. Their cost is not great, but their benefits to the built environment could be huge."

Provide tax cuts and they will build green.

Buildings consume lots of energy

Check out this link
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/consumptionbriefs/cbecs/pbawebsite/office/office_howuseenergy.htm

Well have a great Green Friday and a Green Weekend

An enjoy the Super bowl – a energy hog event but I will still be watching

Go pats and remember

Tread Lightly or not at all.