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LEED v2009
Healthcare
Sustainable Sites
Environmental site assessment

LEED CREDIT

Healthcare-v2009 SSp2: Environmental Site Assessment Required

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Larry Sims

Studio4, LLC
Principal

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Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Conduct a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (as described in ASTM E1527-05) to determine if environmental contamination exists at the site. If contamination is suspected, conduct a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (as described in ASTM E1903-97, 2002). Projects outside the U.S. may use a local equivalent to ASTM E1527‐05 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment and ASTM E 1903‐97 Phase II Environmental Site Assessment.

AND
Sites that are contaminated due to the past existence of a landfill on the site are prohibited. If the site is otherwise contaminated, then it must be remediated to meet local, state or federal EPA region residential (unrestricted) standards, whichever is the most stringent. Documentation from the authority must be provided, such as EPA’s Ready for Reuse document, to prove “safe” levels of contamination have been achieved. As the remediation process leads to significant environmental benefit, one point (in SS Credit 3, Brownfield Redevelopment) will be given for successful documented remediation of the site. See all forum discussions about this credit »

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Addenda

10/1/2012Updated: 2/14/2015
Global ACP
Description of change:
The second sentence should read: "If contamination is suspected, conduct a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (as described in ASTM E1903-97, 2002)."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
10/1/2012Updated: 2/14/2015
Global ACP
Description of change:
Add "Projects outside the U.S. may use a local equivalent to ASTM E1903-97 Phase II Environmental Site Assessment." at the end of the first paragraph.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
7/1/2014
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

Can ASTM E1527-13 be substituted for ASTM E1527-05?

Ruling:

For SS Prerequisite Environmental Site Assessment, projects may use ASTM E1527-13 (or local equivalent) in place of ASTM E1527-05.

Campus Applicable
Yes
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
7/1/2012
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

Can the environmental site assessment and brownfield remediation efforts conducted for a prior LEED project (for the purposes of LEED for Schools and LEED for Healthcare certification) be acceptable to achieve compliance for a new LEED project, which is located on a portion of the same site?

Ruling:

A goal of SSp2: Environmental Site Assessment and SSc3: Brownfield Redevelopment is to ensure that the site is assessed for contamination and, if present, the contamination has been remediated to protect occupant health. If a School or Healthcare project is located on a site that has already been completely assessed and remediated using a Phase I ESA, Phase II ESA, or local equivalent, then the project may use the results of that assessment and remediation to earn SSp2 and SSc3, Option 1. In order for new projects to use prior remediation efforts to qualify for SSp2/SSc3, the following must be provided:1. results of the Phase I ESA (ASTM E1527-05);2. if environmental contamination is suspected, results of the Phase II ESA (ASTM E1903-97 (2002);3. a letter from the environmental consultant or applicable regulatory agency stating that remediation has been achieved at the site to meet residential (unrestricted) use ; and4. a document describing site contamination assessment and remediation strategies in detail. If the assessment and remediation strategies were conducted per superseded Phase I and Phase II ESA standards, describe how they are equivalent to ASTM E1527-05 and ASTM E1903-97 (2002). Internationally applicable.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
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LEEDuser expert

Larry Sims

Studio4, LLC
Principal

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Conduct a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (as described in ASTM E1527-05) to determine if environmental contamination exists at the site. If contamination is suspected, conduct a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (as described in ASTM E1903-97, 2002). Projects outside the U.S. may use a local equivalent to ASTM E1527‐05 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment and ASTM E 1903‐97 Phase II Environmental Site Assessment.

AND
Sites that are contaminated due to the past existence of a landfill on the site are prohibited. If the site is otherwise contaminated, then it must be remediated to meet local, state or federal EPA region residential (unrestricted) standards, whichever is the most stringent. Documentation from the authority must be provided, such as EPA’s Ready for Reuse document, to prove “safe” levels of contamination have been achieved. As the remediation process leads to significant environmental benefit, one point (in SS Credit 3, Brownfield Redevelopment) will be given for successful documented remediation of the site.

LEEDuser expert

Larry Sims

Studio4, LLC
Principal

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