COLLEGE ADOPTS 'GREEN' CONSTRUCTION STANDARD.

Byline: Mariel Garza Staff Writer

In an action hailed as nationally significant, the Los Angeles Community College District committed itself Wednesday to use of environmentally sensitive materials and energy-efficient technology as it makes $1.25 billion of improvements over the next six years.

The unanimous decision means that as many as 40 new or renovated buildings on the district's nine campuses would include ``green'' elements - from water-efficient plumbing and solar panels to recycled and environmentally friendly building materials.

``We are leading the way in terms of green building,'' said board member Kelly Candaele. ``By passing sustainable guidelines, we are anticipating the needs of the future today.''

Environmental groups such as the Sierra Club and Greenpeace began last fall to pressure district officials to adopt green standards as they considered how to spend voter-approved Proposition A revenue.

``It's a victory,'' said Matt Petersen, president and CEO of Santa Monica-based Global Green, a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization. ``It's the largest commitment we know of, to date, of any college or university.''

The first project funded by money from Prop. A began in autumn last year at Pierce College in Woodland Hills.

Kristen Casper, an activist with Greenpeace's Clean Energy Now campaign, praised district board members for the action.

``This really is a historic moment for the greening of colleges in the U.S.,'' she said

Under the plan, the district commits to meeting standards set by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a set of environmentally friendly building guidelines developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Any project in which the Prop A money provides at least half the funding would have to meet the LEED standards.

``You get points for different concepts that you adopt into designs,'' said Randy Duncan, project manager for the Prop. A construction. ``For example if you use ... two-paned windows, you get points. If you use renewable energy sources as such as solar, or photo-voltaic tiles, you get points.''

Each new building could have a range of green options, with the goal of incorporating enough elements to reach 26 points.

Construction projects that do not include buildings that will be occupied, such as parking lots and swimming pools, will be exempt from the design standards, Duncan said.

The greener buildings will cost the district about $35 million more to build.

``However, the benefit is there is payback in (the) form of reduced operating and energy costs,'' which will help the district recoup the money in five to seven years, Duncan said.