Mandatory LEED standards for City of Bloomington

BLOOMINGTON, IN — The Bloomington City Council passed the city’s first green building ordinance last week that requires 15 government buildings to meet stringent energy efficiency standards, according to the Indiana Daily Student.

The ordinance requires that all 15 buildings, including City Hall, Department of Public Works buildings, Parks and Recreation buildings and the Utility Service, meet the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED-EB) Silver standard for existing buildings, the story stated.

Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan said: "We continue to strive to be better environmental stewards, and identifying energy efficiencies is critical since, in the long run, they reduce our operating costs and decrease our carbon footprint."

The cost of the energy-efficient upgrades will be offset within a 10-year period, the story noted.

The city's efforts will save taxpayers money in the long run and will reduce the city's carbon footprint, the story added.