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:

• The Birmingham VA Medical Center in Alabama.
• The Loma Linda Health Care System, the Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center and the San Diego Healthcare System in California.
• The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center and the Atlanta VA Medical Center in Georgia.
• The John D. Dingell AV Medical Center in Michigan.
• The Asheville VA Medical Center, the Durham VA Medical Center, and the W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical in North Carolina.
• The Portland VA Medical Center in Oregon.
• The Dallas VA Medical Center in Texas.
• The Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center in Virginia.
• The VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Washington State.
• The Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Wisconsin.

{related_content}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.