How green are you?

How green are you?

by Clair D. Urbain

In this issue, we feature a short item in Safety Update about a contractor who was convicted of violating Clean Water Act regulations by using a Louisiana wetland as a dumping ground for shingles and scrapped building materials.

The courts put him in jail for 21 months with an additional 12 months of probation as well as a $3,000 fine.

If I were on the bench, I think I would have imposed even stiffer penalties. After all, what was this guy thinking?

I am not a left-wing fanatic about anything, especially when it comes to environmental issues. But my limited experience and education in environmental issues has made me aware of how construction activities can impact Mother Earth.

Construction activities almost always have some environmental impact. Whether it is a paved parking lot or a building renovation, there are environmental issues that must be dealt with, ranging from accelerated water run-off to scrap disposal.

How we handle those issues can greatly affect the area surrounding the construction project for years to come.

While the Louisiana contractor who thought the wetland was a great dumping ground is an extreme example, there are things that can be done on every jobsite to be a little more green, a little more environmentally friendly.

Do you sort cardboard and other recyclable materials from construction debris? The U.S. Green Buildings Council reports that for every square foot of building space, the construction process produces 22 lbs. of waste. That adds up!

Do you assure that water run-off is controlled and take steps to minimize erosion? Although it is written into many specs, it’s one area that has been overlooked, resulting in flash flooding and ditches and culverts being filled with sediment.

Have you ever made an effort to select more eco-friendly building materials? Increasingly, manufacturers are offering more building materials made from recycled or fast-renewing resources.

Do you recycle your spent Ni-Cd batteries? Although these batteries are extremely useful when they are alive, they can be killers when they are dead. Cadmium is a heavy metal. If it’s disposed of in a conventional landfill, it may contaminate water supplies. Recycling is free and most distributors, hardware store and retail establishments that sell Ni-Cd-powered tools will gladly take them.

Do you use adhesives, paints and sealants that emit few volatile organic compounds (VOC)? California already mandates that low- or no-VOC products be used in building projects. VOCs have been implicated in air pollution, and manufacturers have come up with some very viable low- or no-VOC products that can help the environment. Plus, they don’t smell as bad as their VOC-laden counterparts.

These are just a few ways you can become more “green” on your jobsite. Being aware of environmental impacts of your actions is the first step in minimizing them.

Published in the July/August 2004 issue of Contractor Tools and Supplies magazine.