Resources

1. Energy Use

The Office of Energy Efficiency of Natural Resources Canada has a number of energy efficiency programs and offers financial assistance in certain circumstances.
BC Hydro’s web site has energy-saving ideas and auditing resources. This corporation also has a number of incentive programs.

2. Water Use

Canadian Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) has a large database of water conservation projects undertaken to date.
Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) has information on water audits and typical consumption rates.
North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance web site has both water-saving ideas and auditing resources.
Water Audit Developed by BOMA British Columbia
City of Calgary Waterworks Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) Customers

3. Construction Waste

Alberta Action on Waste web site is devoted to providing information on this initiative and practical advice on how you can reduce construction, renovation and demolition (CRD) waste.
Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) web site has information on local recycling depots and job site recycling.
Triangle J Council of Governments (NC, USA) has model specifications for construction waste reduction, reuse and recycling. See Section 01505 in particular. This can be reviewed in parallel with GVRD’s Project Waste Management Master Specification.

4. Recycling

5. Hazardous Materials

Refer to regulations that may be in effect in your jurisdiction regarding ‘substance specific requirements’ or mandatory practices relating to such substances as asbestos, biohazardous materials and pesticides.
MSDS Search.com Inc.is a web site information portal for MSDS information.
US Environmental Protection Agency has information on ‘ chemicals in the environment’.
US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration has extensive information on toxic substances.
US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has information on the management of hazardous materials, especially during a disaster such as an earthquake.
Workers’ Compensation Board of BC has information on safe work practices for asbestos.
US EPA has information on Asbestos.
US OSHA has information on Asbestos.

6. Material Selection

Environment Canada has helpful information on environmentally friendly purchasing policies.
Environment Canada has the Environmental Choice Program, which is considered to be North America’s leading benchmark of environmentally responsible products and services.
Recycling Council of BC web site includes the BC Materials Exchange (MEX) – a means of connecting recycling suppliers with consumers.
US EPA lists designated recycled products including construction and landscaping materials.
Books on green building construction materials can be obtained from the Association for Environmentally Conscious Building (AECB) in the United Kingdom.
Iris Communications Inc. operates the Oikos green building web site which includes extensive information on green building materials.

7. Ozone Depleting Substances

Government of Canada’s present regulations on halocarbon are available.
Government of Canada has issued proposed new regulations on halocarbon use.
BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection has a stratosphere ozone depletion web site that includes BC’s Ozone-Depleting Substances Regulation.
US EPA lists designated Class I (CFCs and halons) and Class II (HCFCs) substances.

8. Indoor Air Quality

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has an indoor air quality health and safety guide under ‘Products & Services’.
Workers’ Compensation Board of BC provides its regulations on the Internet.
US EPA web site includes a number of indoor air quality publications, including a guide for building owners and facility managers.
Article: Healthy Indoors Partnership: What Building Owners and Managers Need to Know and Do. Visit their website

9. HVAC Maintenance

Refer to occupational health and safety regulations that may be in effect in your jurisdiction.
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) publishes Standard 62, ‘Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality’; available via the online ‘Bookstore’.

10. Communication Program

BOMA International has a publication entitled, ‘BOMA’s Do It Yourself Guide to Producing a Tenant Handbook’, available for downloading in their Products & Research area.

Please Note:

Web URLs are provided for convenience only and are subject to change. Where applicants can no longer access a web page or site via the links provided, please forward the revised URL to BOMA Canada for inclusion in revisions to this guide.

BOMA Local Association Links