Maryland Executive Order Involving LEED

On March 13, Governor Parris Glen-denning’s Executive Order made Maryland the first state to mandate sustainability measures for all government operations in clean energy, green buildings, pollution prevention, and alternative fuel vehicles (www.gov.state.md.us/gov/execords/2001/html/0002eo.html). The order features a new High Efficiency Green Buildings Program for all new state facilities “modeled after the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Rating System.” According to Mark Bundy of the Department of Natural Resources, one of the most significant parts of the Executive Order is the creation of the Maryland Green Buildings Council, an interagency group with six private-sector members (each with staggered four-year terms) that will “represent environmental, business, and citizen interests” and ensure follow-up. Bundy also noted that recommendations have been made by staff to the Governor that state projects already under development be permitted to reprioritize and reallocate dedicated funds to make the projects greener.