WASHINGTON, DC — Fifteen Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in 10 states have received Green Globes green building ratings under the assessment system administered by the Green Building Initiative.
The GBI's third-party review system certifies buildings at four levels with ratings ranging from a single to four Green Globes.
All but two of the 15 VA medical centers that were recently certified received ratings of three Green Globes. The Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center and the Durham VA Medical Center in North Carolina each received a rating of two Green Globes.
Here is the full list by state of the facilities that were Green Globes-certified:
U.S. agencies are required to have 15 percent of their existing building inventory incorporate sustainable elements by 2015 under Executive Order 13423, signed by George W. Bush in 2007
To comply with the order, the Department of Veterans Affairs aims to have 21 facilities reviewed and rated by third-party green building systems by the close of this year.
"Reaching the goal of 21 third-party certifications in 2010 will make VA a leading example of green achievement," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki in a prepared statement. "We will proudly reach and surpass the 15 percent requirement before 2015."
Image courtesy of Department of Veterans Affairs.