Achieving LEED standards set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2000 requires true commitment on the part of a builder, and if there were a holy grail of achievement in meeting such rigorous standards, it would certainly be for the highest LEED level – LEED platinum.

 This year, the USGBC is set to update its standards, dubbing the effort LEED 2012. The LEED certification process developed in 1998 provides independent, third-party verification that a single structure—business or residence—or an entire community was designed and built employing strategies to achieve high performance in key areas including: human and environmental health, sustainability, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. Achieving credits based on a 100-point system determines the four levels of LEED achievement: Certified (40-49 points); Silver (50-59); Gold 60-79); and Platinum (80 points and above).

 There are now some 7,000 LEED-approved projects throughout the United States and 30 other countries, covering more than one billion square feet of space. Of those, just over 1,000 have been able to achieve Platinum status. In our home state of Illinois, roughly 30 projects represent a cross-section of building uses — from a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant in Gurnee Mills to the University of Illinois-at Urbana-Champaign campus boasting of its business instructional facility being so rated.

 Simply put, the reason there are so few Platinum-level buildings to be found is that getting to that level is hard! It’s so hard, in fact, that sometimes one wonders if divine inspiration and intervention might be required to achieve the coveted LEED standard.

 Here in Burnham Nationwide’s home state, one Platinum project extends that concept. In Evanston, Illinois, the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation became the first to attain LEED Platinum rating. The American Institute of Architects and the group’s Committee on the Environment also has named it as one of the top green buildings.

 In neighboring Wisconsin, a monastery in Madison displayed its own commitment to Platinum-level standards. The different elements installed in achieving the high designation hint at the breadth of design needed to be called a green building. The centerpiece of such design was the monastery’s geothermal heating and cooling system that was approved for construction by the Benedictine women of Madison. The system uses roughly 40 closed-loop wells at a depth of 300 feet each.

 In addition to the Chipotle’s eatery, synagogue, and five private homes in our home state—three in our Chicago base and one apiece in Elgin and Glencoe—just a few projects have managed to achieve Platinum. Looking through the list gives one the sense of the possible in achieving the coveted standard given the sheer scope of projects. Among those achieving Platinum LEED in Illinois are:

• The 550 West Washington building – Chicago
• The Center for Neighborhood Technology Renovation – Chicago
• Christy Webber Landscapes, Greenworks Office & Storage Building – Chicago
• The office interiors at the Environmental Law and Policy Center – Chicago
• Erin’s Pavilion – Springfield
• The Evelyn-Pease Tyner Interpretative Center – Air Station Prairie, Glenco
• Headquarters of Exelon, including the 55^th floor – Chicago
• The FBI regional office – Chicago
• The Gensler office – Chicago
• The Hidden Oaks Nature Center – Bolingbrook
• The HOK office – Chicago
• Hyatt Center – Chicago
• The Kenmore Senior Apartments affordable housing complex – Chicago
• The McDonald’s corporate world headquarters campus office building – Oak Brook
• McGuire Engineers – Chicago
• Other World Computing – Woodstock
• The Pepsico Chicago Sustainability Center – Chicago
• An office renovation project at Perkins+Will – Chicago
• The Richland Community College Center for Sustainability and Innovation – Decatur
• The Ryerson Woods Conservation Area Visitors Center – Lake County Forest Preserve District, Deerfield
• The Shaw Technology and Learning Center – Chicago
• Tesla Produce – Chicago

With Burnham Nationwide as your trusted partner, you won’t need supernatural guidance in your own quest for LEED designation. Our team of professionals is well versed in all things LEED-related and can help you achieve your own level. Who knows? It might even be LEED Platinum! Contact us via Burnhamnationwide.com or by calling toll free at 800-407-7990, and don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook!

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Of all permits needed prior to construction, the construction general permit is arguably the one that inspires the greatest anxiety and sense of foreboding. Centered on storm water discharges related to construction activities, the permit is under purview of the EPA—an agency that doesn’t mess around with its enforcement and penalties.

Storm water discharges originating from construction—resulting from grading, excavation, stockpiling, and the like—that disturb the environment on one or more acres that are part of a larger common plan of development or sale, are regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) storm water program. Before discharging, construction operators must first obtain coverage under an NPDES permit.

Some in the construction industry view a construction general permit as a draconian measure, but it is an important safeguard to protect the environment. The main compliance issue inherent to a construction general permit centers on effluent limits and related permit requirements. Contractors seeking coverage under the EPA’s construction general permit requirements must submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) that certifies they have not only met the permit’s eligibility conditions but intend to adhere to established effluent limits and other requirements. In seeking a permit, operators are required to use the EPA’s electronic NOI system.

In March, the EPA hosted two webinars designed to provide members of the public an overview of the revamped construction general permit updated for 2012 that included a Q&A session to ask questions of EPA officials. If you missed it, it’s available for download at the EPA website.

Not to add to the pressure, but there are also a series of deadlines associated for submitting a NOI and dates of permit coverage. For a new project, for example, the deadline to submit is at least 14 days prior to the beginning of construction. The accompanying date of permit coverage is 14 calendar days after the EPA has acknowledged receipt of a NOI. This assumes, however, that the EPA has not notified that an authorization has been delayed or denied. The same deadline timelines exist for a new operator of a new or existing project. For an existing project (defined as one that began before Feb. 16, 2012), the deadline to submit is no later than May 16. There’s also a deadline related to emergency-related projects, required no later than 30 days after construction start. For such projects, permit coverage is offered provisionally on an immediate basis.

In seeking information related to a construction general permit, a visit to the EPA website is highly advisable. Contractors can reach the site at www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/cgpnoisearch.

A plethora of information on the construction general permit can be found at the website, including information on states, Indian country, and territories where such requirements apply. Also, you can find a primer on the type of operator that would need such coverage. Storm water pollution prevention plans and other helpful resources are also available, as well as a review on the Endangered Species Act. There’s even a nifty portion designed to help find a construction site’s latitude and longitude coordinates.

To be sure, dealing with federal agencies can be somewhat anxiety-inducing. However, at Burnham Nationwide, a seasoned array of professionals are well accustomed to dealing with regulators at the highest levels and are happy to help you navigate these regulatory waters. Our professionals are not only conversant in the nomenclature of the federal government, but are familiar to regulators given their many encounters on behalf of our clients. We would be happy to lend that expertise toward the end of achieving a comfort level in obtaining a construction general permit for your next project. Burnham can be reached toll-free at 800-407-7990. For those of you engaged in social media, we can be reached via Facebook as well. Once you find our page, we’re hopeful you’ll hit the “like” button.

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As we celebrate our first 20 years, we can’t help but wonder what’s in store for the next 20? Our valued clients associate Burnham with the uniform, a tailored blue button down with an orange Burnham logo. With confidence, we can say this branding effort has made us a fixture in City Hall, in Chicago where it all began and in thousands of municipalities nationwide. Efficiencies will be created and processes improved as we continue to leverage existing and new technologies. Our commitment to the global adoption of sustainable building and development practices will bloom bigger and brighter.

 We do know that the next 20 years will go by faster than our first – and we have already initiated efforts to improve our process and systems to enable everyone to be more productive:

 > All of our teams are utilizing iPhones, equipped with the best applications to simplify efforts in exchanging and processing information timely.  

> We have partnered with Avolve Software, Inc. and their ProjectDox™ application that will allow us to process electronic drawings, perform plan reviews, and deliver information more efficiently and effectively.

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A comprehensive national rollout often requires construction related permits from a variety of jurisdictions, departments and agencies. Our Nationwide division, working with our local circles of support, is now able to provide retailers, architects, engineers, contractors, building owners, property managers, and construction managers with expert permitting and code consulting solutions geared to their specific needs.

Through our Nationwide division we’ve helped companies such as Chase Bank, T-Mobile, Walgreens, Marriott, Starbucks and many others with their multiple location construction agendas. Our permit technicians have helped normalize the disparate permit processes for thousands of unique municipal authorities and construction projects throughout the country!

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