JCPenney achieves LEED distinctions for green building design

PLANO, TX — JCPenney Company Inc. has been awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its home office campus, according to a press release.

The 1.9 million square-foot building serves as a workplace for more than 5,500 associates and is the third largest campus facility in the nation to receive this designation, the release stated.

Adding to this distinction, JCPenney recently received a LEED for New Construction Silver certification for the JCPenney store in Fairview, TX and a LEED for Existing Buildings Silver certification for the JCPenney supply chain facility in Reno, NV, the release noted.

"JCPenney's LEED certifications demonstrate tremendous green building leadership," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, chief executive officer (CEO) and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council.

"JCPenney makes a conscious effort to efficiently use natural resources in order to bring an immediate, positive impact on our planet, which will benefit future generations to come," Fedrizzi added.

Click here to read the complete release.

Bedbug infestation prompts evacuation

YORK, ME — York resident Joyce Forthman first noticed bite marks on her daughter's arms several months ago, and then she saw tiny bugs hiding in her apartment, according to the York Daily Record.

But it wasn't until the fire department declared her Beaver Street building unfit for human occupancy that she realized they were bedbugs, the article stated.

Forthman said she tried everything to get rid of the bugs, including bleaching her entire apartment.

According to the article, a statement appeared taped to the door of the three-story apartment building: "This dwelling contains a serious hazard to the health and safety of the occupants because of the infestation of bed bugs."

"It seems like it's getting worse," Forthman said. "They're so easy to spread, and you don't know they're there."

Only the most extreme cases of bedbugs result in a building being closed, but this isn't the first time that's happened, according to Captain Gil Kimes with the York City Fire/Rescue Services.

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Beware of Chinese drywall 'remediation' scams

HOUSTON, TX — The remediation of problem Chinese drywall is a multi-million dollar market, and whenever there is money to be made you can be sure that there is someone out there trying to pull off a scam, according to a press release.

There have been numerous reports of Chinese drywall victims being scammed by opportunistic "remediators" offering everything from diagnosis to air clean machines and drywall removal, the release stated.

Homeowners affected by Chinese drywall are often in search of anything that can help rid their homes of the problem drywall and can be susceptible to con artists who prey on the people who are already vulnerable due to their desperation and concern for the well being of their family, the release noted.

A recently published article on the subject of Chinese drywall remediation scams in Florida identified 47 remediation and inspection companies working in the Palm Beach area alone: Of these, 26 were created during or after January of 2009 and only 18 were operated by licensed contractors.

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Daycon Products Company joins Strategic Market Alliance

OAK BROOK, IL — Strategic Market Alliance (SMA) is pleased to announce that Daycon Products Company has become a member of SMA effective August 1, 2010, according to a press release.

"The distributor owners of SMA welcome Daycon Products to SMA," said SMA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard McGann.

"Daycon is truly a market leader and an innovative organization. Their business focus and market segment strategy align very well with direction of the distributor owners of SMA." McGann stated.

"As a catalyst in the supply channel, SMA's stated mission and vision will be significantly enhanced with the addition of Daycon, as they will enable SMA to more effectively support our suppliers and service local and multi-unit account customers," McGann added.

Texas universities selling branded renewable energy

DALLAS — The University of Texas (UT) and Texas A&M have started selling branded energy alongside other team gear — so you can now watch the Texas Longhorns game in your Longhorns underwear while sitting in a house powered by Texas Longhorns Energy, according to a press release.

The deal, made possible thanks to Texas' deregulated energy market, will see Texas Longhorns Energy and Texas A&M Aggies Energy selling electricity and natural gas as soon as next month, the release stated.

"We're very conscientious about our brand. We want to be careful with that logo and that symbol," said University of Texas Senior Associate Athletic Director Chris Plonsky.

"When BRE and IMG brought it to us, we went 'Huh?' But it made sense because the issue of sustainability, especially on large college campuses that use a lot of energy, is important to us," Plonsky added.

Champion Energy Services is supposedly providing the branded power companies with renewable energy and every Texas fan that opens an account contributes to a sustainability initiative for either Texas A&M or UT, the release noted.

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Battling public bedbug infestation

NEW YORK — According to New York City health officials, one out of every 15 New Yorkers have battled bed bugs in the last year, according to a press release.

Health officials have announced a plan to fight the spreading infestation, which has been discovered in theaters, clothing stores, office buildings, housing projects and even upscale hotels, the release stated.

According to the release, health officials reported that bedbugs have rapidly multiplied throughout New York and many other U.S. cities in recent years: Across the country, the National Pest Management Association notes a 57 percent increase in calls over the past five years for bedbug infestation.

Bedbugs, once thought to be eliminated because of widespread use of the pesticide DDT in the 1940s and 1950s, are thought to be on the rise because of the decreasing use of pesticides and due to immigration and travel from the developing world, the release noted.

Acting on a report by a government advisory board, New York City is re-appropriating $500,000 of health department money to begin the first phase of a "bedbug battle plan," the release detailed.

Some of the money will go toward creating an online portal where New Yorkers can find information about avoiding bedbugs as well as how to treat their homes, the release added.

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It takes a small city to clean Disneyland

ANAHEIM, CA — Long after Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Pluto wave goodbye to the park's last guests, hundreds of dedicated workers emerge from the darkness to ensure the Disneyland Resort is cleaned, maintained and in prime operating condition for the following day, according to the Los Angeles Times.

A team of about 600 custodians, painters, gardeners and decorators scrapes chewing gum off the sidewalks, sands and recoats chipped handrails and pulls stubborn weeds in the 85-acre park each and every night to achieve Walt Disney's vision of an immaculate land, free of the litter and grime of the outside world, the story stated.

According to the story, because much of the custodial and maintenance work at the Disneyland Resort is performed at night, some workers don miner's headlamps and others work underneath portable floodlamps.

David Caranci, the manager of resort enhancement and decorating at Disneyland, said: "To keep the park in good order, it takes a crew that works 365 nights a year. It's a city that never sleeps. There is something always happening, and for nearly every nighttime task, there is a specific worker."

To assist in their rodent removal efforts, Disneyland Resort officials decided to cease evicting the estimated 200 feral cats that roam the 85-acre park and instead decided to spay or neuter them and allow their rodent-repelling presence, the story noted.

Though it is unknown how much money is spent each year on cleaning and maintaining the Disneyland Resort, one can imagine the thousands of gallons of paint, landscaping materials, cleaning chemicals and hourly wages for workers add up quickly, the story added.

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Thirteenth university building receives LEED certification

ATLANTA — Emory University's Emory Conference Center Hotel (ECCH) recently received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification at the Silver level from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to the Emory Wheel.

According to the story, The ECCH certification brings the total number of LEED-certified buildings on the Emory University campus to 13.

Sustainable aspects of the five-story building include the recycling and reuse of building materials, water and energy efficiency and access to alternative transportation, the story stated.

General Manager of the ECCH Kathryn Johnson said: "There was so much thought put into it. I give accolades to the university and the trustees for having the vision that all new constructions will be LEED-certified. It definitely helps us get business because there are other folks out there that are passionate about their business, and they want to know what is different about us."

The Atlanta Business Chronicle recently recognized Emory University's sustainability efforts during their awards ceremony for "Deals of the Decade" where Emory won in the "Design" category for its green building program, the story noted.

All future Emory University buildings will be LEED-certified at the Silver level as a minimum, the story added.

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