Georgetown Univ. Rafik B. Hariri Building has been awarded LEED Silver certification

As expected, the Rafik B. Hariri Building has been awarded LEED certification for its environmentally-friendly features. Georgetown applied for LEED Certification, which is awarded to buildings that are sustainable, and water, energy, resource, and material efficient, during the fall semester.

LEED certification is awarded by the U. S. Green Building Council, a non-profit organization which bills the award as the “nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings,” but LEED certification has been criticized for similarly weighting expensive green features with large environmental impacts and inexpensive projects with minimal impact.

According to a press release from the Georgetown McDonough School of Business, the following are some of the features that the LEED certification recognized:

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On a personal note, as part of Georgetown's Facilities Management team, this means a lot.

Washington State Univ. Custodians complain of doing too much with too little

PULLMAN, WA — The custodians at Washington State University at Pullman are complaining that they have more work piling up than they can complete, according to the Daily Evergreen.

Lately, the custodians have been asked to complete more tasks in significantly less time, something they find troubling as it could easily lead to the campus becoming unsanitary, the story stated.

Because custodians used to have over nine hours to complete their daily tasks and now only have eight, corners are being cut to meet productivity requirements, the story noted.

Lawrence Davis, associate vice president of facilities operations, said: "This isn't a problem unique to Washington State University or custodians. This is a problem across the board. We're all stretched thin."

Custodians are no longer required to empty trash cans in offices and classrooms and the frequency of tasks such as sweeping and dusting have been reduced, the story added.

According to the story, numerous custodians have also complained that work assignments are not divided evenly among staff, making it increasingly difficult for those with time-consuming tasks to complete them in a timely and orderly fashion.

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Allstate Insurance data center receives LEED-Gold certification

ROCHELLE, IL — The new Allstate Insurance data center recently received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification at the Gold level from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making it one of a handful of data centers in the nation to achieve the designation, according to a press release.

Some sustainable aspects of the data center include: A heat-reflecting white roof; use of natural lighting; use of recycled materials for making concrete; and native landscaping that requires minimal maintenance, the release stated.

Buildings that are LEED-certified use less water and energy and help taxpayers, businesses and families save money while contributing to a more healthy environment for workers, residents and the community, the release noted.

According to the release, the certification was verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).

The LEED-Gold-certified data center also uses technology that mixes heat generated from computers, mechanical equipment and outside air to keep equipment rooms cool and office areas consistently comfortable, the release added.

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Thousands may have been exposed to Legionnaires' disease

CUDAHY, WI — Thousands of people may have been exposed to Legionnaires' disease at Aurora St. Luke's South Shore hospital last month, according to TMJ4-TV.

According to the story, eight people have been officially diagnosed with the disease, which presents symptoms similar to pneumonia, and hospital officials have been making phone calls searching for others who may have been exposed.

Carol Wantuch, Cudahy's health officer, said: "I'm sure we're going to be getting more cases."

Two of the eight people diagnosed are still hospitalized with the disease that, although easily treatable, can be deadly if not caught early, the story stated.

Wantuch feels that the hospital is now safe after the facility was thoroughly cleaned by workers and that officials are close to determining the source of the disease, the story stated.

Symptoms include a high fever, cough and difficulty breathing, the story added.

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Maintenance chief used school equipment for private business

MONROE, LA — Energy and Maintenance Manager Kirk Clark has been suspended for 10 days and ordered to repay the Monroe City Schools district $2,000 for allegedly using school equipment for his private janitorial business, according to the Associate Press.

According to the story, Clark used two buffers, a carpet cleaner and wet vacuum to perform services for area businesses through his company, Kz Clark Enterprises.

Clark has worked with the school district for 29 years and receives an annual salary of about $50,000, the story stated.

According to the story, the Monroe Federation of Teachers has complained that any other employee would have been fired for the same transgressions, and that they first asked the district to investigate Clark's actions over two years ago.

Clark will not receive pay during his 10-day suspension, the story added.

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Alarming rise in cruise ship norovirus outbreaks despite cleaning

CHARLOTTE, SC — Only three months into 2010, there have already been eight cruise ship norovirus outbreaks — a startling number compared to the total 15 outbreaks last year, and one that cruise companies fear may set a trend for the months to come, according to USA Today.

According to the story, experts can’t confirm whether the outbreaks — four of which happened in one week — are coincidence or are indicative of something worse, such as the possibility that the virus may have changed to become more easily-spread or resistant to cleaning.

Dr. Claire Panosian, a clinical professor of infectious diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles, said: "It could be a blip or it could be a trend. It's too early to say."

The outbreaks are occurring despite cruise ships taking extra precautions to clean and disinfect, some even delaying the boarding to allow for additional cleaning time between groups of passengers, the story stated.

Royal Caribbean spokesperson Cynthia Martinez said: "In these situations, there will be heightened cleaning procedures being carried out throughout the ship during the entire sailing."

Norovirus is particularly difficult to eradicate because it can linger on surfaces like doorknobs, countertops and buffet tables and can sometimes even survive being cleaned with a bleach solution, the story noted.

The virus also has an incubation period, the story added.

University instates changes to increase custodial supervision

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The facilities department at Montclair State University is instating a new cleaning strategy expected to begin during spring break, according to The Montclarion.

Cleaning at Montclair State University is currently done over three shifts a day with a separate cleaning staff for each shift, the story stated.

Vice President of University Facilities Greg Bressler said: "We think this rearrangement will make the cleaning better. We are trying to manage it to a number of four supervisors. This allows us better supervision. We think this will be an improvement to the level of service provided to the constituency."

According to the story, the new strategy, which will come with no additional costs, is to change from three shifts per day to two, a move that is hoped to provide better results.

With the change, the first cleaning shift will begin at 4 a.m. and the second shift at 1 p.m., the story noted.

A letter is to be circulated by the facilities department to the students about the change in the coming week, the story added.

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Officials: Next wave of H1N1 on its way

WASHINGTON DC— Though reports of the H1N1 influenza A (swine flu) virus have decreased steadily in recent weeks, health officials warn that another wave may be on the horizon just waiting to strike, according to the Gazette.

In America, roughly 80 million individuals have been infected with the H1N1 virus, resulting in approximately 360,000 hospitalizations and 16,000 deaths, the story stated.

According to the story, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the pandemic has not waned, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that a third wave may be making the rounds.

Marita Mike, health director at the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security, said: "It wouldn't be surprising to see another peak this year. When you look at flu outbreaks in the past, there were multiple peaks. The best time to get vaccinated is before everyone gets sick. We saw this flu start initially in the summer."

Continued education of the public, including promoting hand hygiene and thorough cleaning, is vital to control the virus' spread, the story noted.

Though many individuals and organizations have been proactive in preventing the virus, the WHO and the CDC warn against complacency and urge everyone to remain vigilant, the story added.

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School custodian steals student's medication

NORRISTOWN, PA — A school custodian was sentenced to two years' probation after admitting he stole a student's prescription medication from the school nurse's office, according to The Mercury.

According to the story, 28-year-old Jonathan Schilling was working as a custodian at Pennbrook Middle School in September of 2009 when he was caught on camera opening a locked cabinet in the nurse’s office and stealing and ingesting prescription medication.

The camera had been installed after an incident three days earlier where 96 tablets of Adderall, a stimulant drug used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), went missing, the story stated.

Schilling was also sentenced to 60 hours of community service, the story added.

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Man sues over clogged toilet, amputation

HOUSTON — Oscar Batres has filed suit against the apartment complex where he lives claiming an overflowing toilet in his apartment led to the amputation of his right foot, according to KIAH-TV.

According to the story, Batres said maintenance workers at the apartment complex failed to clean up after a sewage backup last November caused his toilet to overflow, flooding the apartment and saturating his bedroom carpet.

Batres attempted to clean up the mess, but his foot become infected after he cut it while clipping his toenails in his apartment bathroom, resulting in a hospitalization and eventual amputation of the limb to save his life from the spreading infection, the story stated.

Veronia Foley, Batres' lawyer, said: "In less than a week, this man's life was turned upside down. He was a father of three, had a full time job and now he's missing a leg."

Apartment managers were unavailable for comment, the story added.

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OSHA investigates handling of asbestos in UConn renovations

HARTFORD, CT — The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating reports of the improper handling of materials with asbestos during a renovation at the University of Connecticut (UConn), according to the Hartford Courant.

According to the story, there are a number of alleged violations of OSHA laws, including reports that workers threw materials with asbestos out of a window during renovations of the university's president's office, failed to perform an inspection for asbestos before the floor was removed, disturbed and removed asbestos without monitoring and released asbestos particles into the air.

State Department of Labor spokeswoman Nancy Steffan said: "Once we became aware of the asbestos issue we decided it would be a good idea to send a compliance officer on site to conduct an investigation."

According to documents obtained by The Courant under a Freedom of Information Act request, officials at the university admitted they were in violation of OSHA laws, the story stated.

UConn spokesman Michael Kirk said: "The university is, of course, cooperating with state OSHA representatives and will continue to do everything possible to safeguard the health of our students, faculty and staff."

Seven people have undergone medical screening for asbestos exposure and related health problems, the story added.

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North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District fined $20,000 for using janitors for electrical, plumbing work

ST. PAUL, MN — The North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District was fined $20,000 after a janitor reported he was ordered to perform electrical and plumbing work he was not trained or licensed to perform, according to KSTP-TV.

According to the story, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry issued the fine along with a cease-and-desist order after employee Tahmi Hall alerted the city of Maplewood and the state about the district's practice of using unlicensed janitors for repairs and for ignoring his complaints.

Hall said: "It vindicated what I've been trying to do all this time. Now I'm not just this complainer. I've done the right thing, and that makes it all good."

The district acknowledged the improper use of janitorial employees and said it will only use licensed contractors for future repairs, the story stated.

The district also claimed the repairs janitors were asked to perform were "minor," the story added.

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Meijer store becomes first LEED-certified retrofit supercenter

WALKER, MI — Supermarket chain Meijer's North Shores store has become the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified retrofit supercenter, according to the Grand Rapids Press.

According to the story, the store, located just south of Muskegon, Michigan, is 195,000 square feet and is almost 50 years old.

Remodeling of the store began in 2008, and sustainable features include six windmills on a solar reflective roof to produce electricity and maintain a consistent temperature within the store, as well the use of drought-resistant plants and the reduction of the store size by 30,000 square feet, the story stated.

Meijer has opened LEED-certified stores before, but they were all new construction projects, the story added.

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Another state passes green school cleaning bill

DES MOINES, IA — The Iowa House of Representatives has passed a controversial bill requiring state buildings and schools to use green cleaning products, according to the Globe Gazette.

According to the story, local school boards, community colleges and regents universities would be able to apply to opt out of the requirement.

The bill had faced opposition from lawmakers and school districts who claimed the measure was unnecessary and would result in a financial burden for schools, the story stated.

Supporters, however, argued that green cleaning can actually save schools money and provides a healthy environment for students and custodial workers, the story noted.

Representative Nathan Reichert said: "It's about the environment [in] which our kids learn, [in] which our teachers teach, and how we can reduce their exposure to chemicals used typically in cleaning, but also to those folks that do the cleaning for us in our state government buildings and our classrooms."