Update: It's March 1st, and the 6th public comment period is open. USGBC has posted information on how to get involved at usgbc.org/leedv4. As usual, LEEDuser is hosting an open forum where you can not only post public comments but also share your thoughts, reactions, and questions on the latest draft of LEED v4. The biggest change from the 5th public comment draft is a new Option 3 of the Building Product Disclosure and Optimization—Material Ingredients credit. This option recognizes manufacturer programs that are third party verified and provide relevant information on environmental and health impacts to decision-makers throughout the manufacturing process. What do you think of this and other changes in this draft? Please comment below.

USGBC has announced a 6th public comment period for LEED version 4, the newest version of the LEED rating systems, but it says that there will be no delay in the member balloting and launch of the system, if approved by members.

The new comment period will run from March 1–31, according to an announcement on the USGBC website. Selina Holmes, LEED marketing and communications manager at USGBC, told LEEDuser that the new comment period, which was not previously scheduled, is intended to focus specifically on refinements to credit calculations and documentation. Most basic credit requirements will not be up for review, but USGBC wants to make sure that the LEED v4 draft that goes to member ballot June 1st reflects the most straightforward requirements.

Complicated credit requirements and documentation have been a theme of comments from the LEED community through the development of LEED v4, and during the 5th public comment period in Fall 2012, that complaint was raised by some commenters. LEED's consensus-based, member-driven process requires substantive changes in rating system development to go through public comment. That means that without a 6th public comment, USGBC would have had to put the 5th public comment draft out to ballot with only minor tweaks. The organization apparently decided, based on comments received, that enough changes were called for to make a 6th public comment period worthwhile.

Holmes told LEEDuser that not all credits would be open for comment, noting that the new Materials & Resources credits, which have been particularly contentious, would be part of the focus of this comment period.

The member ballot remains scheduled for June 1-30, and  Holmes says a launch of LEED v4 is targeted for Greenbuild 2013.