Source: National Real Estate Investor, January 9, 2012 Posted on: http://envfpn.advisen.com When sustainability standards for commercial buildings were introduced in the mid-1990s, contractors were often expected to provide guarantees that the property would receive certification for the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or Energy Star. But since professionals […]

Read here about how opponents of hydraulic fracturing in New York are looking to enact local laws to ban the practice.

Source: “Legal Insights,” A Publication of Havkins Rosenfeld Ritzert & Varriale, LLP, Spring 2011-Volume 5, Issue 1 By: Tara C. Fappiano Deep within the earth is a layer of sedimentary rock that is the gas-rich Marcellus Shale, a substantial portion of which lies in the Southern Tier, Twin Tiers and Catskills region of New York State. Hydro-fracking, […]

Source: Daily Camera (Boulder, CO), December 20, 2011 Posted on: http://enr.construction.com A new study led by a University of Colorado engineering professor shows that green construction poses more dangers than traditional projects — partly because workers are more likely to be cut on recycled construction materials or fall while installing solar panels. Matthew R. Hallowell, […]

Source: New York Times Online, December 18, 2011 Posted on: http://envfpn.advisen.com Amwell Township is a 44-square-mile plot of steep ravines and grassy pasturelands planted with alfalfa, trefoil and timothy in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania. Its home to some 4,000 people, most of whom live in villages named Amity, Lone Pine and Prosperity. From some […]

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com, December 17, 2011 By: Ashley Portero While hydraulic fracturing has been employed in Western states for years by oil and gas companies seeking to extract valuable natural gas from deep within the ground, the controversial process has remained largely unregulated while simultaneously coming under scrutiny due to concerns about its potentially harmful effects […]

Source: New York Times Online, December 14, 2011 Posted on: http://envfpn.advisen.com As energy companies move to drill in densely populated areas from Pennsylvania to Texas, battles are breaking out over who will have the final say in managing the shale gas boom. The fight, which pits towns and cities against energy companies and states eager […]

Source: http://www.buffalonews.com, December 10, 2011 By: Patrick LaKamp A jury this week awarded $2 million to a Niagara Falls man who filed an asbestos lawsuit a year ago in State Supreme Court. Gerald Failing, 66, was diagnosed in December 2010 with peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Under state […]

Read here about an announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that fracking may lead to groundwater pollution.

Source: Los Angeles Times, December 8, 2011 Posted on: http://fpn.advisen.com The Environmental Protection Agency said that hydraulic fracturing, a controversial natural gas drilling process, probably contaminated well water in Wyoming, a finding sure to roil the debate about expanding natural gas drilling around the country. The EPA’s new draft report found dangerous amounts of benzene […]

Read here about a lawsuit that has been filed in California to restrict oil and gas development.

Source:  http://www.rmmag.com By:  Jeff Slivka, New Day Underwriting Managers Sustainable construction is rapidly expanding with the continued development of green codes and eco-friendly building materials. Championing the movement is the United States Green Building Council, whose Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system has become the benchmark for energy efficiency and environmentally safe […]