SENATOR LAUTENBERG VISITS PNC BANK IN HAMILTON TO ANNOUNCE 'GREEN BUILDINGS' PROVISION BECOMING LAW

SENATOR LAUTENBERG VISITS PNC BANK IN HAMILTON TO ANNOUNCE 'GREEN BUILDINGS' PROVISION BECOMING LAW
Bill will improve air quality, reduce emissions, combat global warming
by making federal government buildings more energy efficient
and environmentally sound

HAMILTON, MERCER COUNTY, N.J. – Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today visited a certified green building to announce the enactment of legislation he authored to improve the energy efficiency, indoor air quality and environmental impact of our nation’s federal buildings.   The measure also will help schools make these improvements.  
 
“With energy costs rising and the increasing threat of global warming, we must take steps to make our buildings more energy efficient and environmentally sound.  By improving the design and energy efficiency of federal buildings, government will become part of the solution.  I am glad my green buildings legislation to save taxpayers money, reduce greenhouse gases and improve air quality is now law,” said Sen. Lautenberg.
 
The Lautenberg measure was part of a broader energy bill that President Bush signed into law on December 19, 2007.  PNC Bank’s Green Branch® on Marketplace Boulevard in Hamilton is noted for its Gold certification using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard.  LEED was established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as a benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.  PNC Bank has taken a leadership role in the private sector for constructing environmentally sound buildings.

Buildings, from small apartment complexes to skyscrapers, account for 40 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, and the federal government is the largest single landlord in the country.  On average, federal buildings consume 40 percent more energy per square foot than nongovernmental buildings and require more than $3.5 billion for energy costs.
 
To help the government reduce those emissions, as well as to improve the health of its building’s occupants, Sen. Lautenberg’s High Performance Green Buildings Act creates an Office of High-Performance Green Buildings within the General Services Administration.  The Office will coordinate research and development on ways for government buildings to become “green,” sustainable and healthy.  Information will also be available to the public on the latest developments in green building, including the technology, studies and best practices from the private sector.
 
After the Senate passed Sen. Lautenberg’s measure as an addition to the energy bill last year, the conference between the House and Senate kept Lautenberg’s legislation in the final version of the bill.  Other major provisions of the energy bill include increasing the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks and decreasing our dependence on foreign oil by investing in bio-fuels.
 
Sen. Lautenberg is a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and authored the High Performance Green Buildings Act of 2007.  Cosponsors of the bill included Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chair of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, Sen. John Warner (R-VA), Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and 11 other senators. 

The legislation also provides $10 million over five years for grants to states to help improve the environmental and health impact of local schools on children.

Sen. Lautenberg was joined at PNC Bank’s Hamilton green branch by Andrew Topinka, Chair, USGBC, New Jersey Chapter; Kevin Tylus, Regional President for PNC Bank, Central New Jersey; and Caroline Haithcoath, PNC Bank employee. 

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