B&C Committee Comments on LEED 2012

The Association's Building & Construction Committee issued a comment letter March 27 to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) regarding its draft LEED 2012 proposal.

LEED 2012 represents the first overhaul of the USGBC's sustainable building rating and certification system in three years and will incorporate additional performance management features to help projects measure and manage energy and water use as well as site selection, building materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

The Committee's comments focused largely on the proposed Materials and Resources ("MR") credits—specifically those for Responsible Extraction of Raw Materials and Material Life-Cycle Disclosure and Assessment.

Regarding credits for Responsible Extraction of Raw Materials, the letter contends that the draft language places too much weight on the local sourcing of raw materials. "The environmental impact of transport of most materials is negligible compared to their extraction, refining, and manufacturing," the letter notes.

For a copy of the Committee's comment letter, please contact Chuck Johnson at cjohnson@aluminum.org.