AGC of America Celebrates Green Construction Efforts on Earth Day

Today, AGC celebrates green construction efforts on Earth Day, along with its chapters and members.  While AGC debuts a new online toolkit for building energy code information, AGC chapters and members celebrate Earth Day through building green, recycling, carpooling, planting trees, cleaning up rivers and sponsoring awareness events. FEATURED MEMBER ACTIVITIES Gilbane Building Company From planting trees at a local elementary school to river cleanups to fun, green-inspired contests, Gilbane offices are getting into the Earth Day spirit far and wide.  The Houston office will be helping to build large cinder block planters that will serve as vegetable gardens for the young residents at a local homeless shelter.  In San Jose, employees will hold a “Trashion Show” featuring outfits they make out of trash/recycled items.  Additional activities include a prairie path cleanup in Chicago, planting trees with K-12 students in Puerto Rico, an employee “Taking Action” contest in New York where employees submit ideas they have put into action at home or on the job site to better the environment, and a public space cleanup in Providence. Kiewit Corporation To encourage reducing emissions and fuel costs, Kiewit is now offering designated carpooling parking spots for employees and encouraging idle times of five minutes or less.  Employees that volunteer in Kiewit Earth Day booths also are entered into a raffle for a new bicycle.  Kiewit offices have opened up booths to collect #5 plastics that are then recycled into playgrounds, utensils, packaging and toothbrushes.  Everyone who brings used #5 plastic containers to Kiewit’s Earth Day booths receives a free “Preserve 5” toothbrush made from recycled yogurt cups. The Lane Construction Corporation In honor of Earth Day, the Lane Construction Corporation New England Region offices are collecting used electronics and other materials to bring to the Gold Circuit E-Cycling Center in Ludlow.  This recycling center accepts most items at no charge and provides an environmentally conscious solution for disposal. Virginia Paving Company Virginia Paving Company, a division of Lane Construction Corporation, is celebrating Earth Day by participating in two community events.  Virginia Paving will be handing out prizes and their popular “asphalt cookies” at Alexandria’s Earth Day event (Ben Brenman Park, April 20) and at the Springfest in Fairfax (Workhouse Arts Center, April 27).  Their Norfolk plant will also be participating in Earth Day events in Virginia Beach (Mount Trashmore Park, April 20). FEATURED MEMBER PROJECT Nabholz Construction Services This April, the Arkansas Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recognized King Elementary in Van Buren, Ark. with the 2013 Green Tie Award for Best LEED Project.  This is the second year that USGBC Arkansas has presented the Green Tie Awards, which celebrate outstanding projects, companies and individuals for significant achievements in sustainable design and construction.  King Elementary was built by Nabholz Construction Services, an AGC of Oklahoma Building Chapter and Arkansas Chapter member, who in 2012 received the inaugural Green Tie Award for Member Firm of the Year.  Learn More in AGC’s Constructor Magazine... FEATURED CHAPTER PROGRAM Idaho AGC Every day is Earth Day for the seventeen Idaho AGC members that participate in a special recycling program promoted by the Chapter.  Started in 2007 as an initiative to improve raise funds for Idaho children, the Idaho Youth Education Recycling Partnership (iYERP) is an opportunity for contractors to dispose of their recyclable materials and donate the proceeds to the John William Jackson Fund.  As of 2012, the recycling program has generated over $230,000 to advance academic scholarship, performing arts and outdoor sporting for Idaho’s youth.  Learn More on the iYERP Website... AGC OF AMERICA Contractors can now find building energy code information more easily through a new toolkit that AGC has released with the U.S. Department of Energy.  DOE’s Building Energy Codes Program has a formidable number of resources online.  We did the searching for construction professionals and compiled those resources most relevant to commercial building construction contractors.  Access the toolkit through the environmental section of the AGC Website.  The Building Energy Codes Toolkit is located right alongside an existing toolkit for construction and demolition debris recycling.  Learn more on the AGC website... For more information, please feel free to contact Melinda Tomaino at tomainom@agc.org or Leah Pilconis at pilconisl@agc.org.