Tribal Green Building
Toolkit
2023
Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect.
¦ Chief Seattle, 1854
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is grateful for the invaluable assistance of a number of organizations and
individuals who helped develop the Tribal Green Building Toolkit (Toolkit).
Tribes contributed to the development of the Toolkit by participating in green building codes pilot projects, by providing
comments, through the Tribal Green Building Codes Workgroup and through feedback obtained at the National American Indian
Housing Council Annual Conference in May of 2013.
The project was led by EPA Region 9's Tribal Green Building Team, in collaboration with Tribal Green Building Codes Workgroup
members. Special thanks to the following individuals for leading the development of the Toolkit:
• Michelle Baker, LEED AP, and Timonie Hood, LEED AP, EPA Region 9
• David Eisenberg and Tony Novelli, Development Center for Appropriate Technology
• Laura Bartels, GreenWeaver, Inc.
We recognize the following individuals for providing invaluable feedback on the Toolkit:
• Big Sandy Rancheria: Jaime Collins, Robert Rhoan and Miles Baty
• Blue Star Studio Inc.: Scott Moore
• Builders Without Borders: Martin Hammer
• Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker, LLP: Dean Suagee
• Intertribal Council on Utility Policy: Bob Gough
• Ross Strategic: Elizabeth McManus, Jennifer Tice, Morgan Hoenig and Todd Roufs
• SaultTribe of the Chippewa Indians: Joanne Umbrasas
• Spokane Tribe of Indians: Benjamin A. Serr, Tua Vang, Ryan Hughes, Richard Knott, Donner Ellsworth, Melodi Wynn,
Jennifer Covington, Lux Devereaux, Lorri Ellsworth, and Clyde Abrahamson
• Sustainable Native Communities; Jamie Blosser
• Washington State University Extension, Michael Lubliner
The project benefited from funding and support from EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Innovations Work
Group and the Office of Sustainable Communities. EPA contributors included: Abby Hall, Brett Van Akkeren and Megan
Susman, EPA Office of Sustainable Communities; Jed Harrison, EPA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air; Brian Ng, EPA ENERGY
STAR; Jeffery Kohn, EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response; Ksenija Janjic and Nicole Villamizar, EPA Office of
Resource Conservation and Recovery; Priyanka Pathak, Kathleen Stewart, Shelly Rosenblum and Willard Chin, EPA Region 9;
Suganthi Simon, EPA Region 4; Stephanie Tanner, EPA Office of Water; and Timothy Rehder, EPA Region 8.
This product was developed for EPA Region 9 by Ross Strategic, GreenWeaver, Inc., and the Development Center for
Appropriate Technology (EPA Contract No. EP-G139-00152). Some materials in this document have been adapted from EPA's
Sustainable Design and Green Building Toolkit for Local Governments and Tribal Green Building Codes: Development Guidance.
Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or
otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States
Government. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States
Government and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.
Photo credits: Cover: Top row of photos: Pinoleville Porno Nation / Pinoleville Porno Nation Homes and Navajo Nation / Nageezi
House; Bottom row of photos Pascua Yagui Tribe / Guadalupe House Passamaguoddy Tribe / Kikunol Housing (courtesy of
Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative); Section introductory photos courtesy ofJared Blumenfeld, EPA's Regional
Administrator for the Pacific Southwest with tribal permission, unless otherwise noted.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key Terms & Acronyms v
Section 1: Introduction 1
Toolkit Purpose 1
The Importance of Green Building to Tribes 2
The Importance of Building Codes to Tribal Sovereignty 3
The Importance of Affordable Housing to Tribes 3
EPA Green Building Labeling Programs 4
Key Reasons to Implement Green Building Codes and Land Use Policies 5
Section 2: Overview of the Tribal Green Building Codes Toolkit 6
Guide to Using this Toolkit 6
Assessment Tool 7
How the Assessment Tool Works 7
Specific Question and Potential Tools and Techniques 7
Steps for Completing the Assessment 8
Resource Guide 9
Creating a Plan 9
Who Should Use the Toolkit 10
How the Toolkit Can Help 10
Section 3: Assessment - Land Use 11
3.1. Community Considerations 12
3.2. Site Development in Relation to Natural, Culturally Significant, and Historic Areas 12
3.3. Site Development and Environmental Accountability 13
Existing Codes, Standards, and Other Regulatory Tools for Review 13
Case Study: Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians 15
Code Incentive Examples 17
Questions to Assess Land Use 17
Resources: Land Use 37
Section 4: Assessment - Materials and Resource Conservation 44
4.1. Environmentally Responsible Materials - Local, Natural, Recyclable 45
4.2. Building Preservation and Reuse of Structures on Developed Land 47
4.3. Durability, Repairability, and Adaptability 47
4.4. Materials Reuse and Recycling 48
4.5. Green Manufactured Housing 48
Case Study: Ohkay Owingeh Tribe 48
Case Study: Nez Perce Zero Energy Manufactured Home 49
Code Incentive Examples 53
Questions to Assess Materials and Resource Conservation 53
Resources for Materials and Resource Conservation 66
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Section 5: Assessment - Human Health: Radon, Mold and other Hazardous Pollutants 72
5.1. Radon Resistant Building 73
5.2. Mold 74
5.3 Particulate Matter, Vapor and Gases - Stoves, Heaters, Fireplaces, and Chimneys 75
5.4 Non-Toxic and Low-Emitting Materials 76
Case Study: Spokane Tribe 75
Code Incentive Examples 78
Questions to Assess Healthy Building Techniques 78
Resources: Healthy Building 87
Section 6: Assessment - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 91
6.1. Passive Solar Design 92
6.2. Energy Efficiency and Optimizing Building Performance 93
6.3. Renewable Energy - Generation, Storage, and Distribution 93
Case Study: Big Sandy Rancheria Band of Western Mono Indians 96
Code Incentive Examples 97
Questions to Assess Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Strategies 97
Resources: Passive Solar, Energy Efficiency, and Renewable Energy 104
Section 7: Assessment - Water Access, Management, and Sanitation 109
7.1. Safe Water Access: Building Water Sources 110
7.2. Conservation of Existing Water Supplies 110
7.3. Rain Harvesting and Innovative Sanitation and Wastewater Treatment Systems Ill
7.4. Water-Efficient Landscaping and Landscape Irrigation Ill
Case Study: Pinoleville Pomo Nation: Water Conservation and Community Visioning 112
Code Incentive Examples 113
Questions to Assess Water Access and Management 114
Resources Water Access and Management Codes 122
Section 8: Assessment - Resilience and Adaptability 125
8.1. Energy, Heating, and Cooling Resilience 126
8.2 Water System Resilience 126
8.3. Disaster Resilience and Adaptability 127
8.4. Climate Resilience and Adaptability 128
Case Study: Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Keya Wakpala Waicageyapi Community Development 129
Code Incentive Examples 131
Questions to Assess Resilience and Adaptability 132
Resources: Resilience and Adaptability 139
Section 9: Code Implementation and Compliance 141
Compliance with Existing or New Land Use and Building Codes 143
Case Study: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians 144
Available Resources: Implementation and Enforcement 145
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Section 10: A Plan to Update, Adapt or Adopt Codes, or Develop New Codes 146
STEP 1: Complete the Toolkit Assessment Section and Conduct Initial Research 147
STEP 2: Review and Refine Priorities - Community Visioning 148
STEP 3: Assess Internal and External Barriers and Opportunities for Change 149
STEP 4: Choose Approach and Type of Building Code 151
STEP 5: Finalize Code for Tribal Government Approval, Adoption and Implementation 154
STEP 6: Create an Implementation Plan and Compliance System 154
STEP 7: Evaluate and Update the Code as Needed 154
Resources for Updating, Adopting or Adapting Existing Codes, and Developing New Codes 155
Section 11: Conclusion 157
Appendix A General Green Building Resources 158
Appendix B Blank Assessment Form 159
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KEY TERMS & ACRONYMS
Key Terms
A legal tool for the purpose of establishing minimum requirements to regulate
the siting, design, construction, renovation and maintenance of buildings, their
components, systems and related infrastructure.
An intensive planning session where citizens, designers, and others collaborate
in a vision for development.
Construction and design practices that conserve natural resources, protect
public health, and minimize the environmental impacts of the built
environment, including more resource-efficient models of construction,
renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition.
Design strategies that take into account the local ecology, natural resources,
climate, history and human communities with the intent to create designs that
both accommodate and strive to enhance these.
Policies that encourage the use of land assets in a way that benefit the local
economy, protect and restore natural areas, and support tribal culture.
A regulatory tool that is created by tribes to both amend and augment
conventional codes for use in tribal contexts, and to add guidelines or
requirements customized for a tribe's specific cultural or location-based needs.
Abbreviations and Acronyms
ASHRAE:
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers
BMP:
Best Management Practice
C&D:
Construction and Demolition
EPA:
Environmental Protection Agency
E&SC:
Erosion and Sediment Control
GCF
Grid-Cohort Framework
HERS:
Home Energy Rating System Program
HUD
Department of Housing and Urban Development
HVAC:
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
ICC
International Code Council
IECC:
International Energy Conservation Code
Building Code:
Charrette:
Green Building:
Place-based Design Strategies:
Sustainable Land Use Policies:
Tribal Overlay:
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IgCC:
International Green Construction Code
LEED:
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design
LID:
Low-Impact Development
MW:
Megawatt
MWh:
Megawatt-hour
NAHASDA:
Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act
NAHB:
National Association of Home Builders
PUD:
Planned Unit Development
RMI:
Rocky Mountain Institute
VOC:
Volatile Organic Compound
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Santa Ynez Valley, California
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
Toolkit Purpose
Green building, also known as sustainable design, can assist tribal communities to reduce the impact of
construction on the environment while protecting the health, livelihood, and culture of tribal residents.
Unsustainable building practices can have unintended social and economic consequences, including degraded local
air quality, loss of farmland and open space, and health impacts due to decreased physical activity and lack of access
to healthy food.
This Tribal Green Building Toolkit (Toolkit) is designed to help tribal officials, community members, planners,
developers, and architects develop and adopt building codes to support green building practices. Both tribes without
building codes and with existing building codes can use this Toolkit. The Toolkit includes:
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What Can Green Building Codes
• Strategies and resources for assessing, prioritizing, developing,
and implementing green building codes;
• Guidance for updating existing codes or developing new codes.
The Importance of Green Building to Tribes
Native Americans are the first green architects and builders of the
Americas. Traditional Native American building designs and practices
are sustainable. Native American designs are often based on cultural
values informed by many things including an intimate knowledge of
place, its climate and resources, and technology. Traditionally, tribes
built structures from local resources and without written codes. These
structures were safe, healthy, and energy and water efficient.
Building codes in general have definite benefits when properly
developed and implemented. Categories of benefits include:
• Health and Safety
• Environmental Sustainability
• Tribal Culture and Community Development
• Tribal Sovereignty/Self-Sufficiency
• Affordability/Economic Efficiency
Despite tribes' early and long history of sustainable building practices,
modern tribal buildings often do not incorporate many green building
practices. Utilizing green building codes can be an opportunity to
revitalize sustainable cultural practices by integrating traditional
knowledge and values into tribal building codes. By implementing green
building practices, tribes can help maintain the natural resources that
have historically sustained them.
Integrate cultural/traditional elements
and the local ecology into building and
community design
•
Reduce natural resource and climate
impacts
Make housing more affordable
•
Minimize non-renewable energy
consumption
•
Use environmentally preferred
products
•
Protect and conserve water
resources
•
Enhance indoor and outdoor
air quality
•
Improve operation and
maintenance practices
•
Improve connectivity of communities
•
Protect and create opportunities for
production of local food and goods
Promote human health and cultural
revitalization
Mesa Verde Nation Park preserves ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings were lived in there for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to 1300.
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The Importance of Building Codes to Tribal Sovereignty
The Lack of Building Codes
Tribal building codes are, first and foremost, defined by the Tribe. As
sovereign nations, tribes have broad opportunities to redefine or refine
the purpose, scope, goals and design of their built environment to
guide and manage construction on tribal lands. Building codes exist to
protect the health and safety of people using a structure. In addition to
this, some tribes are integrating their cultural values into their building
codes. Building codes can cover every aspect of design, construction, and
renovation of structures — from specifying building appearance to
regulating sewage disposal. Some existing tribal green building codes
address conventional safety and green concerns while recognizing
cultural values, traditions, and responsibilities to future generations. This
comprehensive approach is creating safe and healthy buildings on tribal
lands.
Where no tribal building codes exist, tribes may have reduced control, or be subject to the application of outdated
building codes that do not support their cultural values or sustainable and healthy building practices. To overcome
this, opportunities that support sustainable tribal housing are evolving. For example, the Native American Housing
Assistance and Self Determination Act (NAHASDA) passed by Congress in 1996 provides tribes the flexibility to adopt
and use their own building codes in NAHASDA-funded programs.
However, since NAHASDA was adopted, few resources have been available to assist tribes to develop or adopt
building codes. One purpose of this Toolkit is to reduce this resource gap.
Currently, the majority of tribes have not adopted building codes and, consequently, many tribal homes continue to
be built to default building codes that lack energy conservation or other green building requirements. Furthermore,
state and local government building and land use codes that often include energy conservation and other green
building requirements do not apply on tribal lands unless a tribe adopted them.
To learn more about a tribe adapting and adopting an existing code, see the case study on the Big Sandy Rancheria
Band of Western Mono Indians.
The Importance of Affordable Housing to Tribes
Housing affordability is a common problem for tribal households, and green building codes and practices can directly
reduce utility and maintenance costs and can also reduce health care and transportation costs.
In 2006-10, nearly 4 out of 10 tribal households spent more than 30% of their income on housing costs and almost
2 out of 10 spent more than 50% of their income on housing.
Tribal housing problems relate to quantity, quality, and price of housing. In the United States, there were about 2.1
million housing units in tribal areas in 2010. Of these, 65,000 or 8.1% of all tribal households and as high as 16% in
Arizona/New Mexico and 22% in Alaska were overcrowded, compared to the national average of 3.1% (2006-2010).
For example, in Haiti, a country without
building codes, 230,000 people died in an
earthquake; the similar Loma Prieta
earthquake in northern California of
similar scale killed less than 75 people,
largely because building codes resulted in
structures that suffered very limited
building damage from the earthquake.
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Almost 3% of tribal households lacked complete plumbing facilities in 2006-2010, more than five times the share for
all U.S. households. A similar share of tribal households lacked complete kitchen facilities, three and a half times as
high as the national average.
Source: HUD, Continuity and Change: Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Housing Conditions of American Indians and Alaska
Natives, January 2014, https://www.huduser.qov/portal/publications/pdf/housinQ conditions.pdf
EPA Green Building Labeling Programs
If a tribe is interested in quickly adopting proven green building practices, consider requiring the builders to meet
EPA green building labeling and certification programs - ENERGY STAR, WaterSense, Indoor airPLUS and Burn Wise
-to improve indoor air quality and conserve energy and water. These programs have both building programs and
labeled products.
ENERGY STAR
Burn Wise
ENERGY STAR Products and ENERGY STAR for Homes
Requiring the installation of labeled appliances, lighting, and fixtures is a simple way to conserve
energy and water and save money on utility bills.
Products
https://www.energvstar.gov/products
Appliances - Building Products - Battery Chargers - Electronics - Heating & Cooling
Lighting & Fans - Office Equipment - Water Heaters
For Homes
https://www.energystar.gov/newhomes
Thermal Enclosure System - Heating and Cooling - Water Management
Energy Efficient Lighting and Appliances - independent inspections and testing
EPA-Certified Wood Burning Appliances
https://www.epa.gov/burnwise/epa-certified-wood-stoves
Wood Stoves - Pellet Stoves - Fireplace Retrofits - Cleaner Fireplaces - Hydronic Heaters -
Masonry Heaters
Indoor Air Plus Features
https://www.epa.gov/indoorairplus
Radon Control - Moisture Control - Pest Management - Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning
(HVAC) - Combustion Venting - Building Materials - Homeowner Education
WaterSense Products
https://www.epa.gov/watersense/watersense-products
Toilets - Bathroom sink faucets - Urinals - New homes - Showerheads - Weather-based irrigation
controllers - Commercial pre-rinse spray valves
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Key Reasons to Implement Green Building Codes and Land Use Policies
Community Priority Area
Outcomes from Green Building Codes and Sustainable Land Use
Policies
Public Health & Safety
• Provide a comprehensive set of building safety and fire prevention
requirements
• Reduce asthma, cancer and other illnesses
• Prevent radon in buildings - a cancer-causing, radioactive gas
• Restrict the use of toxic building materials
• Prevent mold that can lead to poor indoor air quality and poor
health
• Promote physical activity through increased ceremonial and
recreational spaces
• Cleaner-burning heating, such as EPA-certified stoves and electric
heaters
• Assure adequate ventilation for occupants year round
Environmental Quality
• Protect local habitat
• Conserve resources (energy, water, and materials)
• Reduce the negative impact of building and construction on the
natural environment and climate
Economy, Affordability &
Financial Sustainability
• Increase income within the community by using local labor and
resources
• Reduce or eliminate utility bills and the use of high cost fuels (e.g.,
propane)
• Reduce long-term maintenance needs and expenses
• Meet funding and insurance requirements of financial institutions
• Reduce renovation/rehabilitation costs
• Reduce illness and associated health care costs
Tribal Sovereignty & Self-
Sufficiency
• Define performance measures appropriate to a tribe's needs,
culture, and local climate
• Complement the tribe's knowledge of the environment and human
health
• Emphasize sustainable and cultural uses of natural and local
resources
• Set evaluation and monitoring systems that reflect:
o What tribes want from their housing and other buildings
o How they collect and use information
Tribal Culture & Community
Development
• Strengthen community social ties and connect people to the
natural environment
• Promote building designs that incorporate traditional knowledge
and facilitate spiritual and cultural practices
• Support sustainable design innovation
• Celebrate and value cultural art and design
• Protect cultural and sacred lands and structures
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Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California
SECTION 2: OVERVIEW OF THE TRIBAL GREEN
BUILDING CODES TOOLKIT
Guide to Using this Toolkit
This Toolkit is intended to support a tribe's decision-making process in determining whether to adopt, adapt or
develop green building codes. Completing the Assessment portion of the Toolkit (Sections 3 through 8) will assist a
tribe in outlining code development priorities. Questions to consider when establishing priorities include:
• What are the overall priorities for the tribe in advancing green building construction and development?
• Do new codes need to be created?
• Do existing codes need to be updated?
• Does the code/standard implementation process need improvement?
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• Are there resource, budgetary or staffing considerations?
Once the Assessment is completed and code priority areas are identified, refer to Section 9 — A Plan to Update,
Adapt or Adopt Codes, or Develop New Codes.
Assessment Tool
The Assessment Tool (made up of the checklists in this document) is designed to help the user understand building
code needs and priorities. The categories were chosen based on tribal input and the potential to improve the
environmental, social, and economic impacts of the built environment.
How the Assessment Tool Works
The Assessment Tool is divided into the following six categories:
• Land Use
• Materials and Resource Conservation
• Human Health: Radon, Mold and other Hazardous Pollutants
• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• Water Access, Management and Sanitation
• Resilience and Adaptability
Each category is divided into subcategories. For example, within Materials and Resource Conservation, there are
subcategories for:
• Environmentally Preferable Materials;
• Building Preservation and Reuse;
• Durability, Repairability and Adaptability;
• Materials Reuse and Recycling; and
• Green Manufactured Housing.
Specific Question and Potential Tools and Techniques
Each Assessment section is broken up into a series of tables that include three columns.
Column 1 includes assessment questions for tribes with and without existing codes, and also provides tools and
techniques to aid in achieving a greener code.
• Specific Questions: Provides greater detail so tribes can assess codes and ordinances.
• Tools and Techniques: Provides examples of related sustainable design and green building tools and
techniques.
Column 2 is where tribes with existing codes answer to assess their existing codes.
Column 3 is where tribes that do not have codes answer to help evaluate priorities for their future codes. Tribes
with codes can also use Column 3 for this purpose.
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For Columns 2 and 3:
• Selections under the GREEN headings indicate that the tribe's code/ordinance is, or will be encouraging
sustainable design.
• Selections under the headings indicate that there are opportunities to improve the code/ordinance.
• Selections under the RED headings indicate that there are opportunities to improve the code/ordinance and
that barrier(s) may need to be identified and overcome before these improvements can be made.
• Selections under the Not Applicable headings indicate that the assessment question does not apply to goals
or objectives of the tribe's building codes/ordinances.
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do the adopted or planned policies or
Green
Green
requirements support public health
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
through land use?
Incentivized
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
• Complete Streets policies
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
code/ordinance
• Park and open space requirements
allowed
• Pedestrian and bicycle friendly
Red
Red
development requirements
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Encouragement of mixed use
typically approved
• Transit oriented development
~ Expressly prohibited
policies
• Health impact assessments
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
o Walkability
o Injury prevention
o Mental and physical health
o Disease prevention
Steps for Completing the Assessment
STEP 1: Read through the sustainable design question, objective, and rationale.
STEP 2: Review the specific questions. For a tribe with building codes, identify segments of the tribal
codes/ordinances that might address these questions. For a tribe without building codes, identify how the tribe
plans to develop their code to address these questions.
STEP 3: Use the list of tools and techniques to help evaluate the tribe's codes/ordinances.
STEP 4: Answer the assessment questions by checking one GREEN, or RED indicator per question. Note: For
tribes assessing existing codes and establishing priorities for future codes, check one GREEN, or RED
indicator under both columns.
STEP 5: Add additional questions, tools or techniques that the community would like to consider to the appropriate
section. A Blank Assessment Questions Form is provided in Appendix B.
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STEP 6: Total the number of green, yellow, and red answers.
Looking at the totals across the different sections of the Assessment will help
a tribe with building codes prioritize updates to building codes and policies,
and will help to identify priorities for a tribe without building codes.
The Goal is to
"Get to GREEN"
STEP 7: Use the GREEN, and RED indicator results, to work on your
priorities with community input.
Targeted Resource Guide links and Plan development information is provided
in this document and on the Tribal Green Building Code Development Guidance Website
https://www.epa.gov/green-building-tools-tribes/tribal-green-building-code-guidance.
After each of the six categories, a Resource Guide contains links to resources about the topics and support the
development of more sustainable codes/ordinances. The organization of the guide is as follows:
• Resources are categorized by topic area.
• Any resource listed under "Other Information" provides more general guidance.
• General green building resources are included at the end of the document in Appendix A.
Whether the tribe is updating existing codes, developing new codes, or adopting or adapting existing codes from
another tribal, local or state government, a Plan will help guide the process. This Toolkit outlines a framework for
developing a Plan that was based on input received from EPA's Tribal Green Building Codes Workgroup and tribal
communities that received direct technical assistance towards the development of their tribe's green building codes:
Kayenta Township, Navajo Nation - First tribal community to adopt the International Green Construction Code
Pinoleville Pomo Nation - Developed HUD-funded, straw bale housing with strong community input and developed
a draft performance-based green code
Spokane Tribe - Used a Community Visioning process to support the development of green building codes
Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians - Developing cold climate codes to support Master Plan development
Big Sandy Rancheria - Developed and adopted culturally relevant green performance-based code
Steps to update, adapt, adopt or develop building codes may include:
STEP 1: Complete the Toolkit Assessments and Conduct Initial Research
STEP 2: Review and Refine Priorities - Community Visioning
STEP 3: Assess Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Issues
STEP 4: Choose Approach and Types of Code(s)
STEP 5: Finalize Code for Tribal Government Approval, Adoption and Implementation
Resource Guide
Creating a Plan
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STEP 6: Create Code Implementation and Compliance System
STEP 7: Evaluate and Update the Code as Needed
This framework is just one of many possible pathways to implement changes in a tribe's building process.
Who Should Use the Toolkit
The Toolkit was specifically developed for use by tribal government officials, but it can also be used by members of
the development community, rural communities and other governments and building professionals.
How the Toolkit Can Help
The user will be able to identify tribal green building priorities and evaluate different options to reach sustainability
objectives.
The guidance in Section 10: A Plan to Update, Adapt or Adopt Codes, or Develop New Codes can help users design
an approach to update a tribe's existing codes, or develop, adopt or adapt more sustainable codes. In doing so,
tribes can involve and encourage tribal members, developers, contractors, and design professionals to use
sustainable design tools and techniques.
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San Carlos Apache Tribe, Arizona
SECTION 3: ASSESSMENT - LAND USE
The relationship between the built and natural environments is important in all development contexts and
particularly in tribal communities with their long histories of cultural connection to the natural environment.
Key Questions:
What key community values and needs should be considered in development?
Where do important cultural sites exist?
Where do sensitive natural areas exist?
What natural elements (wildlife habitat, water bodies and watersheds, open space, views, trees, solar access
or shading, etc.) are important to preserve within the community?
Which areas are most used by elders, children, those with physical disabilities and, or chronic health needs?
Where do environmental hazards exist?
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Key Terms:
Brownfield: Abandoned or underused properties where there may be environmental contamination (e.g.,
presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant).
Community Visioning: A process of developing consensus about what future the community wants, and
then deciding what is necessary to achieve it.
Design Charrette: An intensive planning session where citizens, designers, and others collaborate in a vision
for development.
Food Deserts: Areas where fresh, healthy and affordable food options are unavailable.
Master Plan: A comprehensive long range plan intended to guide growth and development of a community
or region. It includes analysis, recommendations, and proposals for the community's population, economy,
housing, transportation, community facilities, and land use. It is based on public input, surveys, planning
initiatives, existing development, physical characteristics, and social and economic conditions.
Permaculture: A branch of ecological design and construction that develops sustainable architecture,
regenerative and self-maintained habitat and agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems.
Tribal overlay: A regulatory tool that is created by tribes to both amend and augment conventional codes
for use in tribal contexts, and to add guidelines or requirements which are customized for a tribe's specific
cultural and location-based needs.
3.1. Community Considerations
New development and renovation or restoration projects can often have significant impacts in communities. Tribes
can work to minimize the negative impacts and cultivate the positive impacts of these projects by planning ahead.
Key Strategies:
Community sustainability and vision planning
Promote healthy, active, and well-connected communities
Community safety planning
Community resilience and climate adaptation planning
Place-based design
Promotion of production and harvest of local and traditional foods and goods as a part of the planning
process
Enhancement of natural beauty and aesthetic appeal of development through site design
3.2. Site Development in Relation to Natural, Culturally Significant, and
Historic Areas
By considering site location and development methods in relation to natural, culturally significant, and historic
areas, tribes can avoid or reduce the impacts on these important spaces.
Key Strategies:
Conservation of historic and culturally important areas, lifestyles, and practices through:
o Siting considerations
o Designing for culturally important activities and traditions that require specific spaces
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Create balance between the natural and built environments through:
o Compact versus low-density development
o Wildlife corridors
o Wildland interfaces
o Aquatic buffers
3.3. Site Development and Environmental Accountability
Construction site development can lead to many environmental issues, such as soil erosion, water pollution, light
and noise pollution, and airborne dust. Materials used at construction sites, including petroleum, herbicides and
solvents, can enter the waterways if they are not properly controlled.
Key Strategies:
Construction phase pollution control
Stormwater and runoff management
o Landscaping
o Physical barriers
o Impervious surface reduction (for example roads, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots that stop
rainwater from reaching the ground)
Light pollution reduction by directing light only at areas needing lighting for public safety
Native, drought tolerant: plants can be used for landscaping.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 13
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Existing Codes, Standards, and Other Regulatory Tools for Review
NOTE: The Standards of Ethical Conduct do not permit the U.S. EPA to endorse any private sector website, product, or
service. The U.S. EPA does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find on these websites.
The following resources are examples of regulatory tools for land use, which can be adopted, adapted or used as
models for code and ordinance design.
• International Green Construction Code (IgCC) The issue of housing patterns
https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IGCC2021Pl/preface , . . ...
may be a priority to include in
• LEED for Homes, LEED for Neighborhood Development
https://www.usgbc.org/ the visioning process of some
• Enterprise Green Communities Criteria tr/jbes based Qf) the possibte
https://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/
c c 4- ¦ ui n i negative aspects of tribes
• Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard " r j
https://www.commerce.wa.gov/building- shifting to cluster housing in
infrastructure/housing/housing-trust-fund/housing-trust-fund- , ...
places where low-density
evergreen-sustainable-development/
• ICC 700-2012: 2012 National Green Building Standard (ICC 700) housing was traditional.
https://www.homeinnovation.com/services/certification/green homes
• International Living Future Institute's Living Building Challenge™, version 2.1
https://living-future.org/lbc/
• Multiple Examples found in Rocky Mountain Land Use Sustainable Community Development Framework
https://www.law.du.edu/d7/rmlui/rmlui-academic/sustainable-community-development-code-framework
• Salmon Safe Development Standards
https://salmonsafe.org/get-certified/
The table below broadly indicates which land use topics are addressed by these tools. Tribal priorities not
adequately addressed by existing tools could be included in a tribal overlay.
Land Use
Examples
Intl. Green
Constr.
Code (IgCC)
LEED for
Homes V.4
Enterprise
Green
Comm.
Criteria
Evergreen
Sust. Dev.
Standard
Living
Building
Challenge
V. 3.0
ICC 700:
National
Green
Building
Standard
Rocky
Mountain
Land Use
Salmon
Safe
Residential
Dev.
Standard
Aquatic
Buffers
m*
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦
Cultural
Sensitivity
¦
Healthy,
Connected
Communities
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦
Gardens,
Local Foods
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦
* Covered by IgCC if established by jurisdiction.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 14
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Case Study: Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
The Sault Tribe of the Chippewa Indians is a 44,000-strong federally recognized Indian tribe that is an
economic, social and cultural force in its community in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Sault Tribe has undergone a multi-year effort to create a sustainable development plan and green
development code for their 300 acre Odenaang Development. The site is designed to accommodate
approximately 170 homes when fully developed.
The Sault Tribe Elders approved the name selected for the site. Odenaang (oh-day-nung) means "a place of
many hearts."
The goals for the Odenaang Development, which is unique in its suburban/urban focus, include higher
density, a range of housing, walkable, mixed use, inclusion of community facilities, as well as respect for the
environment.
Beginning with a basic land use ordinance for this specific piece of property, the Tribe is:
• Evolving their land use ordinance to create a sustainable land use and building code for their own
tribal lands, and
• Developing a model for cold climate Great Lakes region tribes.
The Housing Authority reports directly to the Tribal Council which supports the code development work. The
development of an implementation strategy was identified early as an important part of the process.
U.S. EPA contractors supported the Tribe by introducing the example of the Rocky Mountain Land Use
Institute's (RMLUI) Sustainable Community Development Framework and helping guide its adaptation for
both land use and buildings codes. Of particular interest to the Tribe are the Framework's achievement levels,
which supports varying levels of effort or dedication to each goal. This presents a continuum of choice to
develop code appropriate to tribal community priorities.
The Tribe is creating a green development form based code of their own using the RMLUI Framework as a
structure and guide. They have also been awarded a HUD Sustainable Construction in Indian Country grant to
assist in this goal.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 15
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single family use
potenoqrscifopl
; ! location L
existing homes
potential elder
gardens
reclaim pond
area as open
space
multi-use trail
open space
corridors
street trees on
all streets
r community use
new rood
retail
use
re-align
potential tribal
offices location
intersection
i— additional tree buffers
at perimeter
common open space/
linear community park
multi-family use
Proposed Land Use Plan for Odenaang
Tribal Involvement: Tribal Council, Housing Authority, Odenaang Development Team and Private Planning
Consultant
Non-Tribal Involvement: U.S. EPA Region 9, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response and Office of
Sustainable Communities; Development Center for Appropriate Technology, GreenWeaver Inc.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 16
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Code Incentive Examples
General
Targeted - Land Use
• Expedited permitting process
• Expedited easement approval process
• Permit fee waivers or reductions
• Reduced inspections
• Allow higher density variance
• Provide variance in building height restrictions
• Allow shared driveways
• Incentives (payments, tax breaks) for developing in priority areas
• Floodplain, steep slope and/or mountain ridge protection incentives
• Redevelopment incentives
• Retrofitting incentives
• Green street design incentives
• Solar siting incentives
Questions to Assess Land Use
3.1. Community Considerations
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are there requirements for a community
Green
Green
visioning or planning process (e.g., a
sustainable community plan with
periodic updates?)
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Community visioning process
• Master planning process
• Design charrette
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Does a requirement exist for use of
Green
Green
integrated design and the charrette
process?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Integrated design
• Design charrette
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 17
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do the adopted or planned policies or
Green
Green
requirements support public health
through land use?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Complete Streets policies
• Park and open space requirements
• Pedestrian and bicycle friendly
development requirements
• Encouragement of mixed use
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Transit oriented development
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
policies
• Health impact assessments
o Walkability
o Injury prevention
o Mental and physical health
o Disease prevention
• Zoning approaches
Is there a standard for natural resource
Green
Green
preservation or green space creation to
provide connected natural environments
and provide recreation opportunities?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Open space ordinances
• Maximum grading allowance
• Flexible setbacks
• Impervious surface limits
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Impact fee reductions
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Building height variance
• Zoning approaches such as transfer
development rights
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 18
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are conservation developments and/or
Green
Green
cluster designs allowed in order to
protect and connect natural
environments?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Conservation development criteria or
ordinances
• Cluster development criteria or
ordinances
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Zoning approaches
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Incentives such as: variance in
building height restriction, shared
driveways, expedited permit review,
reduced fees, etc.
Is there a standard for connecting a
Green
Green
project to open spaces and adjacent
development by providing various
connections from the project to
sidewalks or pathways in surrounding
neighborhoods and natural areas?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Cluster development criteria or
ordinances
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Zoning approaches
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 19
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do policies or requirements support
Green
Green
community safety?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Pedestrian and bicycle friendly
development requirements
• Outdoor Lighting requirements
(maintaining safety without creating
light pollution)
• Encouragement of mixed use
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
development
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Use of common, community spaces
• Policies that encourage use of
vacant and vacated properties
Do building designs or land use codes or
Green
Green
ordinances support culturally important
lifestyles or practices?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Community visioning
• Integrated design
• Design charrettes
• Tribal overlay
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do codes or ordinances support the
Green
Green
usage and, or revitalization of native
language?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Community visioning
• Integrated design
• Design charrettes
• Tribal overlay
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 20
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are place-based design strategies
Green
Green
required?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Community visioning
• Integrated design
• Design charrettes
• Tribal overlay
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
In planning for a sustainable community,
Green
Green
is production of food and goods
considered and, or incentivized? Is there
support for access to healthy foods?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Zoning approaches for preservation
of farmland
• Permaculture
• Encourage backyard and community
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
gardens and farmer's markets
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Encourage edible landscaping
• Encourage mixed use development
• Policies and strategies to provide
healthier food options and eliminate
food deserts
• Tribal overlay
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 21
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes/ordinances support small or
Green
Green
large scale local food production?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Zoning approaches for preservation
of farmland
• Permaculture
• Encourage community gardens and
farmer's markets
• Encourage edible landscaping
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Encourage mixed use development
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Tribal overlay
Do codes/ordinances prioritize or
Green
Green
support the protection of prime
agricultural land?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Transect studies
• Smart growth principles
• Zoning code
• Master plan
• Tribal overlay
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 22
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or ordinances encourage
Green
Green
access to natural beauty in building and
development projects? Are skyline and
viewshed protection considered in
relationship to public health and
livability?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Community visioning
• Tribal overlay
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Skyline ordinances
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Viewshed ordinances
• Form based codes
• Zoning approaches
• Landscape requirements
Do codes/ordinances include
Green
Green
requirements related to public nuisances
such as emissions, noise, odors and
vectors that can impact public health and
livability?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Red
Red
• Buffer ordinances
• Buffer design requirements
• Zoning
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Master plan
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Tribal overlay
• Environmental monitoring and
quality requirements
Section 3.1 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 23
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3.2. Site Development in Relation to Natural, Culturally Significant, and Historic Areas
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes/ordinances permit or prioritize
Green
Green
the preservation of historic and sacred
tribal sites?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Zoning
• Master plan
• Tribal overlay
• Community visioning
• Integrated design
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Design charrettes
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are historic and culturally important
Green
Green
areas, lifestyles, and practices supported
by policy requirements?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Zoning
• Master plan
• Tribal overlay
• Community visioning
• Integrated design
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Design charrettes
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 24
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Is the preservation of fishing, hunting,
Green
Green
harvesting, and sacred areas prioritized
with codes/ordinances?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Zoning
• Master plan
• Tribal overlay
• Environmental monitoring and
quality requirements
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are there buffers, protection and
Green
Green
sustainable use requirements of
sensitive habitats such as wetlands, old
growth forest, native prairie, primary
dunes and coastal areas?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Red
Red
• Buffer ordinances
• Buffer design requirements
• Zoning
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Master plan
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Tribal overlay
• Environmental monitoring and
quality requirements
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 25
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are there requirements that provide for
Green
Green
buffers to protect water quality and
habitat in streams and rivers?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Buffer ordinances
• Buffer design requirements (width,
vegetation, maintenance)
• Stormwater credits (reduced
stormwater fees for property owners
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
who reduce stormwater runoff or
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
improve the quality of the
stormwater runoff from their
property)
Do the codes or ordinances for the river
Green
Green
and stream buffer include lakes,
wetlands, and coastal waters to protect
water quality and habitats?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Buffer ordinances
• Buffer design requirements (width,
vegetation, maintenance)
• Stormwater credits
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are there replacement or restoration
Green
Green
requirements for buffer disturbances
when it is absolutely necessary to disturb
the vegetated buffer?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Buffer ordinances
• Buffer design requirements
• Restoration guidelines
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 26
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are there varying density requirements
Green
Green
for different zones or types of
development?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Transect studies
• Smart growth principles
• Zoning code
• Master plan
• Tribal overlay
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Is the reuse of existing sites or the
Green
Green
rehabilitation and reuse of brownfields
encouraged or allowed?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Transect studies
• Smart growth principles
• Zoning code
• Master plan
• Tribal overlay
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do zoning maps, requirements or
Green
Green
ordinances protect wildlife corridors in
planning and development?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Mapping
• Transect studies
• Smart growth principles
• Zoning code
• Master plan
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Tribal overlay
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 21
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Is passive solar orientation (e.g., south
Green
Green
side has portion with unobstructed view
of the Sun and most windows facing
south) in development plans and in siting
individual buildings encouraged or
required?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Energy codes
• Tribal overlay
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Is there statutory authority for
Green
Green
landowners to install a solar energy
system on their property, and after the
system is installed, to protect their
access to sunlight so it remains
operational?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Zoning codes
• Energy codes
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Tribal overlay
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are there floodplain protection
Green
Green
requirements to protect or restore the
floodplain?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Floodplain protection ordinance
• Floodplain hazard mitigation and
stream restoration
• Floodplain zoning incentives
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 28
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or ordinances require steep
Green
Green
slope or mountain ridge protection to
protect slopes from uses that may
endanger the community?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Steep slope or mountain ridge
protection ordinances
• Steep slope or mountain ridge
protection incentives
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Stormwater credits
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Section 3.2 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 29
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3.3. Site Development and Environmental Accountability
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
To prevent migration of pollutants to
Green
Green
waterways, are there requirements for:
• Petroleum containment on the
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
construction site?
Yellow
Yellow
• Concrete washout containment on
the construction site?
• Solvents handling?
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Herbicides, pesticides, fungicides
Red
Red
handling?
• Construction debris handling?
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
Potential Tools and Techniques:
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Good housekeeping requirements
• Handling, containment and disposal
specifications for:
o Petroleum
o Concrete washout
o Solvents
o Herbicide, pesticide, and
fungicide
o Construction debris
Are there requirements for dust
Green
Green
management on the construction site to
prevent offsite migration of dust and
other pollutants?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Dust management specifications
o Vegetative cover, mulch
o Windbreaks
o Construction scheduling to
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
minimize disrupted area
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 30
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are clean construction practices
Green
Green
encouraged or required by codes or
ordinances?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Verified diesel retrofit technologies
• Local government construction
contract specification requirements
(e.g., vehicle emissions, dust control,
idle reduction policies)
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are there requirements for the
Green
Green
construction equipment to be fitted with
clean diesel equipment or alternative
fuels to reduce air pollution or
greenhouse gas emissions?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Red
Red
• Clean diesel specifications in
municipal projects
• Clean construction initiatives
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are there post-construction control
Green
Green
codes, ordinances, or requirements?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Post-construction stormwater
management ordinances
• Post-construction Best Management
Practice specifications (e.g., green
roofs, rain gardens, wet ponds)
• Redevelopment incentives
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Retrofitting incentives
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 31
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are reduced street or driveway widths,
Green
Green
reduced sidewalks (one side only) on
residential or other low-use streets
allowed to reduce the amount of
impervious pavement?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Red
Red
• Green street ordinances
• Context sensitive designs
• Utilities consolidated on one side of
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
street
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Storm water or Ian dscape credits
Are permeable pavements or pavers
Green
Green
accepted on residential or other low use
streets to provide for stormwater
infiltration?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Permeable pavement information
• Stormwater credits (a reduction in
stormwater fees for property owners
who reduce stormwater runoff or
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
improve the quality of the
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
stormwater runoff from their
property)
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 32
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are modified curb or gutter systems such
Green
Green
as swale only, reverse curbs or curb cuts
with rain gardens, etc., allowed to
provide for stormwater infiltration and
evaporation?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Red
Red
• Modified curb and gutter designs
• Stormwater credits
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are modified cul-de-sac designs allowed
Green
Green
to provide for reduced impervious
pavement?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Modified cul-de-sac designs
• Permeable pavement information
• Stormwater credits
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Related to stormwater flows, are there
Green
Green
requirements for porous or pervious
surfaces or reduction of impervious
surfaces?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Reduced mini mums for paved
parking and sidewalk area
• Permeable pavement specifications
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 33
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are there incentives for redevelopment
Green
Green
to reduce the need for new streets?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Green street design incentives
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are there requirements for tree
Green
Green
preservation or replacement to provide
habitat for wildlife, provide cooling effect
for pavement and rooftops, reduce
stormwater runoff and provide for
cleaner air?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Tree ordinances
• Tree removal permits
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Street tree designs
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Tree credits
• Replacement ratios
• Stormwater credits
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 34
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are there erosion and sediment control
Green
Green
(E&SC) requirements for land disturbing
activities?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• E&SC ordinance meeting EPA's
numeric effluent limitation
guidelines
• E&SC best management practices
(BMPs) based on EPA's numeric
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
effluent limitation guidelines
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• E&SC BMP manuals
• Third party inspection requirements
Are there clearing and grading
Green
Green
requirements that limit the amount of
exposed soil on the construction site to
reduce the potential for erosion and
sedimentation?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Red
Red
• Clearing and grading ordinance
• Construction phasing requirements
that immediately cover exposed soil
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
on the construction site
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are there incentives for developers that
Green
Green
are high performers in erosion and
sediment control (E&SC) to encourage
successful E&SC site management?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• E&SC incentives (e.g., streamlined
permitting, fewer inspections, etc.)
• Surety or bonding requirements
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 35
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do the codes or ordinances require
Green
Green
reduction in sky-glow and light trespass?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Dark or night skies ordinances
• Outdoor lighting codes/ordinances;
illumination cone maximums,
automatic timing devices, low
reflectance surface requirements or
spotlight limitations
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Yellow
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Light levels or SmartCodes
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Guidelines for lighting regulations
Section 3.3 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
Combine your totals for all subsections and Tribal Priority Totals from Appendix B:
Section 3 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 36
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Resources: Land Use
NOTE: The Standards of Ethical Conduct do not permit the U.S. EPA to endorse any private sector website,
product, or service. The U.S. EPA does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find on
these websites.
Community Considerations
• EPA Green Communities Smart Strategies for a Sustainable Future - An environmental planning framework that
includes tools, case studies, and resources, https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/greening-americas-communities
• EPA Public Participation Guide: Charrettes - Provides information on the charrette process and resources.
https://www.epa.gov/international-cooperation/public-participation-guide-charrettes
• Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative -Supports culturally and environmentally sustainable affordable
housing appropriate for American Indian communities through technical assistance and research of best practices.
https://roadmap.sustainablenativecommunities.org/
• Enterprise Green Communities - Green Charrette Toolkit -
https://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/sites/default/files/green-charrette-facilitator-guide.pdf
• Local Government Commission Resources for Community Safety -
https://civicwell.org/civic-resources/community-design-fact-sheets-for-safe-streets-and-healthy-communities/
• Partners for Livable Communities - Goals, resources and technical assistance for the Culture Builds Community
Program, http://livable.nonprofitsoapbox.com/program-areas/culture-builds-communities/overview
• Rocky Mountain Land Use Sustainable Community Development Framework - A sustainable community development
code framework using a multi-disciplinary, contextually oriented approach that encompasses environmental,
economic, and social equity.
https://www.law.du.edu/d7/rmlui/rmlui-academic/sustainable-community-development-code-framework
Aquatic Buffer Information
• EPA Guide on Aquatic Buffer Ordinances - Aquatic buffer model ordinance language, example ordinances, and
supporting documentation, https://www.epa.gov/nps/urban-runoff-model-ordinances-aquatic-buffers
• The Stormwater Manager's Resource Center - Links to model ordinances and approaches to stream buffers and buffer
preservation. https://www.stormwatercenter.net/SMRC home.htm
• Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia - Guidance for local governments on developing
scientifically based riparian buffers.
https://rivercenter.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Protecting-Stream-and-River-Corridors.pdf
• North Carolina State University Riparian Buffers: What are They and How do They Work? - General information on
riparian buffer systems, https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/agricultural-riparian-buffers
• Virginia Cooperative Extension Services: Understanding the Science Behind Riparian Forest Buffers: Planning,
Establishment, and Maintenance - Guidelines for planning, establishment, and maintenance of riparian buffers.
https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/24647
Floodplain Protection Information
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Floodplain Management Requirements - Information and model
ordinances for the National Flood Insurance Program, https://www.fema.gov/floodplain-management
• FEMA Floodplain Management Tools - Strategies and tools to maintain or restore floodplain resources.
https://www.fema.gov/floodplain-management/manage-risk/state-tribal
• No Adverse Impact Floodplain Management Tool, Association of State Floodplain Managers -Tool to prevent the
worsening of flooding and other negative impacts on the community.
https://www.floods.org/resource-center/nai-no-adverse-impact-floodplain-management/
• Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Floodplain Management Regulations - Example floodplain
management regulation, https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/dam-safety-and-floodplains/fpordnce
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 37
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• Urban Drainage and Flood Control District: Urban Drainage Criteria Manual - Provides guidance for the selection and
design of stormwater quality best management practices and guidelines that could be adopted into code.
https://mhfd.org/resources/criteria-manual/
• Association of State Floodplain Managers, State and Local Resources - An organization for professionals involved in
floodplain management, flood hazard mitigation, flood preparedness, and flood warning and recovery.
https://www.floods.org/
Infill and Redevelopment Information
• EPA Essential Smart Growth Fixes for Urban and Suburban Zoning Codes - Addresses the most common barriers local
governments face in implementing smart growth fixes.
https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/essential-smart-growth-fixes-communities
• EPA Protecting Water Resources with Higher-Density Development - Explores the impacts of high- and low-density
development on water resources. Modeled scenario findings indicate that lower-density development may not always
be the preferred strategy for protecting water resources.
https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/protecting-water-resources-higher-density-development
• Smart Growth Toolkit - Toolkit to help communities untangle policies and procedures that get in the way of
implementing smart growth strategies, https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/smart-growth-tools
• U.S. Green Building Council LEED-ND- integrates principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into the first
national system for neighborhood design, https://www.usgbc.org/leed
• Portland OR, Metro Regional Government Urban Growth Boundary - Oregon law requiring each city or metropolitan
area in the state to have a urban growth boundary that separates urban land from rural land.
https://www.oregonmetro.gov/urban-growth-report
• Lexington-Fayette County, KY, Purchase of Development Rights Program - The first Agricultural Conservation
Easement program by a local government, https://www.lexingtonky.gov/departments/purchase-development-rights
• American Farmland Trust - Information on Agricultural Farmland Easements, https://farmland.org/
Open Space Information
• EPA Guide and Model Ordinance for Open Space Protection - Alternative site planning technique that concentrates
dwelling units in a compact area to reserve undeveloped space elsewhere on the site.
https://www.epa.gov/nps/urban-runoff-model-ordinances-prevent-and-control-nonpoint-source-pollution
• EPA Smart Growth and Open Space Conservation - Numerous tools and technical resources to help communities
become more proactive in conservation planning.
https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/smart-growth-and-open-space-conservation
• St. Louis County, MO, Planning and Zoning Strategies for Water Quality Protection - Planned Unit Development
(PUD) performance criteria, overlay zoning, conservation subdivision ordinance, infill redevelopment, floodplain
ordinance, conservation easements and tree preservation information.
https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-countv-departments/transportation-and-public-works/roadway-publications-and-
manuals/dot-construction-manual-current/sediment-and-erosion-control-manuall/
• Open Space Residential Design in Massachusetts - Provides model open space design ordinances, case studies and
information, https://www.greenneighborhoods.org/
• Chicago's Open Space Impact Fee Ordinance Fact Sheet - Information on using open space impact fees as a condition
of building permit approval for new residential development.
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dcd/supp info/open space impactfee.html
• Context Sensitive Design - A collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that involves stakeholders in transportation
facility design that fits its setting, https://www.contextsensitivesolutions.org/
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 38
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Steep Slope Protection Information
• Town of Somers, New York - Example slope protection ordinance language, https://ecode360.com/11112789
• Western North Carolina's Land of Sky Regional Council - National Association of County Planners guidance on
mountain ridge and steep slope protection, https://www.land0fskv.0rg/ecdpast.html#mrssp
• Center for Environmental Excellence - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials guide for
roadside steep slope management, https://environment.transportation.org/
Tree Protection and Ordinances Information
• Center for Urban Forest Research, U.S. Forest Service - Provides research information on the benefits of urban trees.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/environment/urbanforestrv
• City Trees: Sustainability Guidelines and Best Practices - Guidelines on a comprehensive approach to locating,
planting, and caring for trees by integrating complimentary best practices.
https://www.cleanwatermn.org/protecting-urban-tree-canopies/
• American Forests Guide to Setting Urban Tree Canopy Goals - Provides general urban tree canopy goal guidelines
based on geographic and climate conditions and land use categories.
https://www.americanforests.org/?s=Urban+Tree+Canopv+Goals&x=0&v=0
• Center for Watershed Protection Urban Watershed Forestry Manual Part 3 - Provides detailed guidance on urban
tree planting applicable at both the development site and the watershed scale.
https://owl.cwp.org/mdocs-posts/urban-watershed-forestrv-manual-part-3/
• Trees for Green Streets - Describes the role of street trees in managing stormwater and includes detailed color
drawings of the trees that best perform this function in the Portland area.
https://www.oregonmetro.gov/trees-green-streets
• Portland, OR, Tree Preservation on Your Land Division Site -Tree preservation information guide.
https://www.portland.gov/bds/documents/tree-preservation-vour-land-division-site-land-division-information-
guide/download
• Chapel Hill Tree Protection Ordinance - Example local government tree protection ordinance including a tree canopy
measurement template and canopy measurement, https://www.townofchapelhill.org/government/departments-
services/parks-and-recreation/parks/park-maintenance/trees-in-chapel-hill/tree-protection
• Portland, OR, Stormwater Fee - Portland's Clean River Rewards Program gives a discount on stormwater management
fees for sites with trees over 15 feet tall, https://www.portland.gov/bes/grants-incentives/clean-river-rewards-0
Green Streets Information
• EPA Green Infrastructure Web Page - Provides basic information on green infrastructure along with tools, case
studies, contacts and more, https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure
• EPA Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure: Municipal Handbook - Provides information on design, local
examples, implementation hurdles and lessons learned.
https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/green-infrastructure-municipal-handbook
• EPA Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds Green Street Initiatives Around the United States - Provides examples and
resources on different green street initiatives throughout the U.S. https://www.epa.gov/G3/benefits-green-street
• EPA Green Streets - Outlines green street initiatives throughout the U.S.
https://www.epa.gov/G3/green-streets-green-iobs-green-towns-g3-webcast-series
• Portland, OR, Zoning Ordinance - Eliminates minimum parking requirements in the central city district and for sites
located within 500 feet of a high-capacity transit station, https://www.portland.gov/bps/planning/pcap/about
• Low Impact Development (LID) Center Green Streets - Highlights significant Green Highways and Green Streets
programs and provides guidance for communities and institutions developing green infrastructure strategies.
https://lowimpactdevelopment.org/portfolio-items/green-streets-guidance-notebook/
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 39
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Permeable Pavements Information
• EPA Green Infrastructure Web Page - Provides basic information on green infrastructure along with tools, case
studies, contacts and more, https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure
• EPA Porous Asphalt Pavement: Provides information on design and effectiveness and links to additional resources.
https://www.epa.gov/soakuptherain/soak-rain-permeable-pavement
• North Carolina State University - Permeable pavement research.
https://stormwater.bae.ncsu.edu/permeable-pavement/
• University of Central Florida - Permeable pavement research, https://stormwater.ucf.edu/research-publications/
Erosion & Sediment Control (E&SC) Information
• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control Best
Management Practices - Resources for construction site stormwater runoff control.
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/menuofbmps/index.cfm?action=min measure&min measure id=4
• EPA Model Ordinances to Protect Local Resources: E&SC - Includes a model ordinance as well as ordinances drafted in
various jurisdictions and supporting materials. http://www.epa.gov/owow/NPS/ordinance/
• Center for Watershed Protection Information on E&SC - Resources are related to stormwater management.
http://www.cwp.org/vour-watershed-101/stormwater-management.html
• The Stormwater Manager's Resource Center - Model E&SC ordinances, http://www.stormwatercenter.net/
Clean Diesel and Air Emissions Information
• EPA Clean Construction USA - The Web site is part of the National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC), an innovative
program designed to promote the reduction of diesel emissions from construction equipment and vehicles.
https://www.epa.gov/dera/reducing-diesel-emissions-construction-and-agriculture
• EPA Green Remediation: Incorporating Sustainable Environmental Practices into Remediation of Contaminated Sites
- Information on sustainable technologies for the remediation of contaminated sites.
https://www.epa.gov/remedvtech/green-remediation-incorporating-sustainable-environmental-practices-remediation
Stormwater Best Management Practice Information
• EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) National Menu of Stormwater Best Management
Practices for Post-Construction - Presents innovative practices to treat, store, and infiltrate runoff on-site before it
affects water bodies downstream.
https://www.epa.gov/npdes/national-menu-best-management-practices-bmps-stormwater-post-construction
• EPA Using Smart Growth Techniques as Stormwater Best Management Practices - Helps communities that have
adopted smart growth policies and plans recognize the water benefits and use those policies for stormwater planning
and compliance.
https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/using-smart-growth-techniques-stormwater-best-management-practices
• EPA Green Infrastructure Web Page - Provides basic information on green infrastructure along with tools, case studies
and contacts, https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure
• EPA Polluted Runoff (Nonpoint Source Pollution) Low Impact Development (LID) - Contains LID fact sheets and
reports, manuals and other resources, https://www.epa.gov/nps/urban-runoff-low-impact-development
• EPA Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Handbook Series - Handbooks on Water Quality Scorecard,
Funding Options, Retrofit Policies [for stormwater programs], Green Streets, Rainwater Harvesting, and Incentive
Mechanisms. https://dep.wv.gov/WWE/Programs/stormwater/MS4/guidance/Pages/default.aspx
• EPA Stormwater Discharges from Construction Activities - Stormwater program requiring construction site operator
clearing, grading, and excavating activities that disturb one acre or more, including smaller sites in a larger common
plan, to obtain stormwater discharge permit.
https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-construction-activities
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• Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) Stormwater Management - Resources for post-construction stormwater
guidance, state stormwater manuals and practice articles, https://cwp.org/
• The Stormwater Manager's Resource Center - Links to fact sheets on land planning, land conservation, aquatic
buffers, better site design, stormwater management practices, stream restoration practices, non-stormwater
discharges, and model ordinances for aquatic resources, https://www.stormwatercenter.net/
• Georgia Stormwater Management Manual Volume 2: Technical Handbook - A technical engineering handbook for
implementing stormwater management measures for new development and redevelopment.
https://atlantaregional.org/what-we-do/natural-resources/georgia-stormwater-management-manual/
• Center for Watershed Protection Better Site Design (BSD) Resources-Techniques, codes recommendations and
incentives to promote low-impact development, environmentally-sensitive design and green infrastructure.
https://cwp.org/categorv/better-site-design/
• Center for Watershed Protection Restoration and Watershed Stewardship - Presents material on stream repair,
riparian and upland pervious area restoration, residential stewardship and municipal housekeeping.
https://cwp.org/technical-assistance-for-local-governments-and-non-profits/
• Natural Resources Defense Council Rooftops to Rivers - Green strategies and case studies for controlling stormwater
and combined sewer overflows, https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/rooftops.pdfand
https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/rooftopstoriversll.pdf
Green and Cool Roof Information
• EPA Reducing Urban Heat Islands: Compendium of Strategies, Green Roofs Chapter - Covers green roof types,
benefits and costs of green roofs and green roof initiatives, https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/heat-island-compendium
• Green Roofs for Healthy Cities - Non-profit, green roof industry association, https://greenroofs.org/
• Cool Roofs Rating Council - Non-profit organization that maintains a third-party rating system for radiative properties
of roof surfacing materials, https://www.coolroofs.org/
• Green Roof Legislation, Policy, and Tax Incentives -Tracks green roof policy at the local, state, and national level.
http://myplantconnection.com/
• Portland, OR, City Eco-Roof Resolution - Requires all new city-owned facilities to include an eco-roof with 70%
coverage and high reflectance, ENERGY STAR-rated roof material on remaining surface area or ENERGY STAR material
when that is impractical, https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/44422
Rain Gardens Information
• EPA Green Infrastructure Web Page - Information on green infrastructure along with tools, case studies and contacts.
https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure
• North Carolina State University - Rain garden bioretention information and research.
https://stormwater.bae.ncsu.edu/research-proiects/bioretention-areas/
Light Pollution Reduction Information
• International Dark-Sky Association - Information on preserving the nighttime environment through quality outdoor
lighting, https://darksky.org/
• Outdoor Lighting Code Handbook - Discusses issues relative to outdoor lighting codes, their effectiveness,
implementation, and enforcement. "Pattern code" included, to be modified for each community's needs.
https://www.darkskysociety.org/handouts/idacodehandbook.pdf
• Simple Guidelines for Lighting Regulations - Lighting regulation guidelines for small communities, urban
neighborhoods and subdivisions, https://darksky.org/resources/guides-and-how-tos/lighting-ordinances/
• Light Levels Lighting Design Module and SmartCode Module - Sustainable Urbanism Lighting Design Module and
SmartCode. https://transect.org/ and https://transect.org/docs/LightLevels.pdf
• Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) - Technical society on illumination providing information on
good lighting practice to members, the lighting community and consumers, https://www.ies.org/
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 41
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General Sustainable Site Design Information
• EPA Smart Growth Guidelines for Sustainable Design and Development - Resource for communities seeking to locate,
design, and develop housing — particularly affordable housing — to reduce household costs, improve residents' quality
of life and invest public resources more sustainably.
https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/smart-qrowth-guidelines-sustainable-desiqn-and-development
• EPA Essential Smart Growth Fixes for Urban and Suburban Zoning Codes - Addresses the most common barriers local
governments face in implementing smart growth fixes.
https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/essential-smart-growth-fixes-communities
• EPA - Green Infrastructure/Low Impact Development - Tools and resources on low-impact development approaches
to site design, https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/green-infrastructure-design-and-implementation
• EPA Green Infrastructure Web Page - Provides basic information on green infrastructure along with tools, case studies
and contacts, https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure
• EPA Polluted Runoff (Nonpoint Source Pollution) Low Impact Development - An approach to land development (or
re-development) that works with nature to manage stormwater as close to its source as possible.
https://www.epa.gov/nps/urban-runoff-low-impact-development
• EPA Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Handbook Series - Handbooks on the water quality scorecard,
funding options, retrofit policies for stormwater programs, green streets, rainwater harvesting and incentive
mechanisms, https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/green-infrastructure-municipal-handbook
• EPA Sustainable Redevelopment of Brownfields Program - A comprehensive website on brownfields that includes
projects, initiatives, tools, tax incentives and other resources on brownfield remediation and redevelopment.
https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
• EPA Eco-Health Relationship Browser - Helps communities better account for and protect the benefits they derive
from the environment, https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-eco-health-relationship-browser
• Environmental Law Institute, Brownfields Center - Information on brownfields cleanup and redevelopment, with a
focus on the concerns and needs of community groups, https://www.eli.org/brownfields/brownfields-center
• Form-Based Codes Institute - Code resources and training courses supporting urban development.
https://formbasedcodes.org/
• Center for Applied Transect Studies-Open source SmartCode and manuals, https://transect.org/codes.html
• Complete Streets Policy Workbook - Information on Complete Streets policies and guidelines.
https://smartgrowthamerica.org/program/national-complete-streets-coalition/policy-atlas/
• The Stormwater Manager's Resource Center - Model stormwater ordinance selector plus links to fact sheets on land
planning and conservation, aquatic buffers, better site design, stormwater management practices, stream restoration
practices, non-stormwater discharges, and pollution prevention, https://www.stormwatercenter.net/
• Georgia Stormwater Management Manual Volume 2: Technical Handbook - A technical engineering handbook for
implementing stormwater management measures for new development and redevelopment.
https://atlantaregional.org/what-we-do/natural-resources/georgia-stormwater-management-manual/
• Center for Watershed Protection Better Site Design (BSD) Resources - Code development, local incentives and
techniques to minimize the negative impacts of new development on water.
http://www.cwp.org/Resource Library/Better Site Design/index.htm
• The Green Buildings Guide: Tools for Local Governments to Promote Site Sustainability - Section 2 provides
information on regulatory and policy tools to increase private sector green building.
https://www.wcel.org/publication/green-buildings-guide-tools-local-governments-promote-site-sustainability
• Sustainable Sites Initiative Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks 2009 - Describes benchmarks and provides case
studies and tools on using sustainable outcomes instead of prescriptive approaches to encourage innovation and
provide flexibility. https://digital.library.unt.edU/ark:/67531/metadc31157/
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• Prince George County Low Impact Development Manual: Low-impact Development Design Strategies - Information
on a local government's low-impact development experience.
https://www.princegeorgescountvmd.gov/sites/default/files/media-document/dcv86 low-impact-development-
design-strategies-pdf.pdf
• Low Impact Development Center - Low-impact development design techniques and resources.
https://lowimpactdevelopment.org/
• Green Building Guide: Design Techniques, Construction Practices & Materials for Affordable Housing -
Comprehensive guidance for green building projects including site-related aspects.
https://www.rcac.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/grn-bldg-guide 4-20-09.pdf
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 43
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Smith River Rancheria, California
SECTION 4: ASSESSMENT - MATERIALS AND
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
Tribal communities can reduce construction costs and environmental impacts through the selection of green
materials and resource conservation. The main components of this section relate to the preservation and reuse of
existing structures and materials, and environmentally preferable materials selection.
Key Questions:
What culturally significant or historic buildings exist that may need to be protected, upgraded or replaced?
Are there areas that could be developed more densely?
Which building materials promote healthy indoor air quality?
What building materials are considered "local" to your area or were used in the past that can be used to
create durable, energy efficient, healthy buildings?
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 44
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Key Terms:
Adaptability: The ability to change or adjust to different or varying conditions, such as fluctuating climate
conditions.
Construction and Demolition (C&D) Materials: Materials generated during the construction, renovation,
and demolition of buildings, roads, and bridges. C&D materials often contain bulky, heavy materials.
Durability: The ability of materials or building systems to withstand weather, wear, pressure, or damage,
and stay in strong, serviceable condition over time.
Infill: Building in vacant or undeveloped spaces within an already developed area of land.
Manufactured Housing: Prefabricated homes that are constructed at a factory or similar industrial setting,
and then assembled at the building site.
Permeable: Allowing liquids or gases to pass through.
Repairability: The ability of materials or building systems to be repaired, rather than needing to be replaced
if damaged.
Life Cycle Cost: The sum of present values of investment costs, capital costs, installation costs, energy costs,
operating costs, maintenance costs, and disposal costs over the life-time of the project, product, or
measure.
4.1. Environmentally Responsible Materials - Local, Natural, Recyclable
Selecting local, natural and, or recyclable building materials can reduce construction costs and environmental
impacts that result from the extraction, processing, and transportation of raw materials. Material selection can also
affect human health and indoor air quality though emissions and direct contact during production, installation and
use.
Key Strategies:
Local and natural building materials:
o Construction materials such as earth (adobe, clay plasters, compressed earth block, cob, etc.), fiber
(jute, sisal, flax, kanaf, bamboo, wool, etc.), wood, stone, or straw
o Certified sustainable or green products
Recycled content and recyclable products
Low- or no-emitting materials (over the life of the product)
Energy and water efficient systems and materials
Tribes can use a table to assess the suitability of local and natural materials for their construction projects.
Overlaying the simple utility of a material with local availability or whether it reflects tribal traditions may be helpful.
The table below is an example of how tribes can assess potential uses for local and natural materials for specific
purposes. The availability of local and natural building materials will vary by location.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 45
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EXAMPLE; Local and Natural Building Materials Table
NOTE: Local materials availability and appropriate uses will vary by location
Indoor Uses
Outdoor Uses
Permeable
Reusable
Locally Available
Clay plasters
o
o
Limestone
¦
¦
Stone
¦
¦
¦
Wood
o
o
¦
Straw
o
o
¦
Fiber
¦
~
¦
KEY: 0 Local material used by the tribe (past or present) H Local material currently available to the tribe
Designs should consider the durability of the materials and protect materials that are vulnerable to weather. Design
strategies to protect materials include increased roof overhangs, orientation to prevailing weather, rain screens, and
more durable finish materials. Materials that offer great durability but have significant environmental impacts or
higher levels of toxicity should be used with care if they are used.
The Apsaalooke Crow Tribe used Crow resources and tribal member The Pinoleville Porno Nation built straw bale housing and provided training
labor to build compressed earth block homes. Photo: Apsaalooke tribal members and other local tribes' members. Photo: Timoriie Hood
Housing A uthority
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4.2. Building Preservation and Reuse of Structures on Developed Land
Repairing a building rather than tearing it down avoids human exposures to toxics, conserves natural resources,
reduces energy consumption and prevents pollution from the extraction, manufacturing, and transportation of new
building materials. Building reuse also reduces the amount of solid waste that is generated.
Key Strategies:
Preservation of historic or culturally significant tribal buildings
Redevelopment of previously developed lands (including restoration of damaged lands)
Reuse of building shell
Infill in areas with existing infrastructure
4.3. Durability, Repairability, and Adaptability
For the long-term sustainability of a building, it is important to choose materials that are durable, appropriate for
many different uses, can be easily repaired, and can be adapted for future use. Buildings with these types of
materials will last longer and be less expensive to maintain. In addition, these types of materials can be reused or
recycled.
Key Strategies:
Construct well-designed buildings that reflect community culture and values
Design for durability, including accounting for differences in durability of natural materials.
Design for ease of maintenance and repair (for example, don't put a material that will need to be replaced in
20 years behind a brick veneer that will last a hundred years or more)
Design simple structural systems using standard dimensions to facilitate straightforward repair,
replacement, adaptation and reuse
Design connections that are visually and physically accessible (bolts, screws, nails, etc.) and minimize
chemical connections such as sealers and glues
Select building materials that are durable and easily repaired
Select building materials that are appropriate or adaptable for use in many locations, types of buildings, and
environmental conditions
Select materials that create an energy efficient building appropriate to the local climate
Separate mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems for ease of access for maintenance and repair
Provide information for building owner and occupants to facilitate appropriate and regular building
maintenance
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4.4. Materials Reuse and Recycling
Reusing building materials creates many economic, environmental, health and social benefits that include reduced
construction costs, consumption of new resources, waste and pollution. Managing construction and demolition
(C&D) materials also reduces costs, conserves energy, and protects the environment.
The Eastern Sierra House in Nevada was built with reclaimed wood and used airplane flaps were repurposed as garden shades. Photo: Edward Caldwell, Public
Architecture Reuse Primer
Key Strategies:
Establish a building materials reuse store or area
Reuse materials in the different building phases:
o Construction
o Renovation
o Demolition
Set materials reuse and/or recycling requirements or goals (generally percentage of material weight)
Design buildings to support deconstruction and reuse
4.5. Green Manufactured Housing
Manufactured housing is common in many tribal communities. Because these homes are typically manufactured out
of the tribe's jurisdiction, challenges can arise in controlling how they are constructed. Tribes can consider
implementing codes or green manufactured housing specifications to manage manufactured housing consistent
with the tribe's green building and cultural priorities.
Manufactured housing can be moved across state lines and, therefore, is built to a federal standard typically
referred to as the "HUD-code". In contrast, modular housing built offsite and assembled on site, is generally built to
existing state or local government building codes. The HUD-code minimum is typically less energy efficient and has
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 48
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fewer durability requirements than modular building codes. Both HUD-code manufactured housing and modular
housing can be required to meet stronger energy efficiency and green building requirements.
Key Strategies:
Establish green standards for manufactured housing, including:
o Set up and operation of home(s) in accordance with manufacturer's installation and operation manual.
(Note: Many states and local governments have standard set-up requirements, and HUD has default set
up standards if the tribe or state does not have one.)
o Energy efficiency
o Water efficiency
o Durability
o Cultural and community considerations
o Ventilation and indoor air quality
o Environmental impact standards
Increased production of manufactured/modular housing by tribes, rather than use of external producers
Manufactured home community set-up codes planning (NFPA-501A)
Proper solar orientation for the installation of manufactured housing
Design installation commissioning (i.e., ensuring proper installation and systems work as designed)
Occupant education on operations and maintenance
The Hoopa ValleyTribes' Modular Building Enterprise in-plant factory home building mission encompasses three interconnected goals: affordable housing,
job creation and job training. Photos: Hoopa Modular Building Enterprise.
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Case Study: Ohkay Owingeh Tribe
The Ohkay Owingeh Tribe developed the Owe'neh Bupingeh Preservation Plan to rehabilitate housing and
infrastructure within the historic village center of Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico, using traditional building
materials. Several hundred homes once surrounded the village center, but oniy 60 remain, many of which
were abandoned due to deterioration. The project incorporated new technologies to preserve and stabilize
ancient adobe homes, with an education and research component informed by cultural leaders and
homeowners.
The multi-year, affordable housing, rehabilitation project within the historic core at Ohkay Owingeh balanced
preservation, housing quality, and green design. The Tribe's comprehensive preservation plan has guided
practical housing improvements according to cultural values, including the rehabilitation of 25 homes using
traditional earthen construction methods and
the renovation of infrastructure. A native-
owned construction contractor hired and
trained tribal members.
The project is rooted in the preservation
philosophy of Ohkay Owingeh tribal leaders,
which values the life of the Pueblo.
Preservation technology specialists in adobe
construction repaired and reconstructed
damaged vigas (round timber beams) in order
to save as much of the existing material as
possible. This was an important cultural factor, as Photo: Kate Russell
many of the vigas were "gifted" from one family to another.
The project has successfully provided families with culturally-appropriate, quality affordable housing and has
generated tribal discussions of larger cultural preservation issues. The plan has been heralded as a model
planning effort for Native American communities in historic settings.
Tribal Involvement: Ohkay Owingeh Housing Authority, Cultural Advisory Team, Tribal Council, Chamiza
Foundation, Avanyu General Contracting, Inc., community members, cultural leaders, construction crew
members.
Non-Tribal Involvement: HUD Office of Native American Programs, Concept Consulting Group, National Park
Service, New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, New Mexico Historic Preservation Division, McCune
Charitable Foundation, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Atkin Olshin Schade Architects.
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Case Study: Nez Perce Zero Energy Manufactured Home
A Zero Energy Manufactured Home (ZEMH) was built in 2002 on the Nez Perce Fish Hatchery in Cherry Lane,
Idaho, to advance research on green manufactured housing. The project funded by The Bonneville Power
Authority (BPA) provides on-site housing to hatchery facilities staff. The research compared two 1600 square
foot double section manufactured homes, built by the same manufacturer, using an identical fioor plan.
One home was built to Energy Star and one home built approaching "Zero Energy" long term sustainability
goal. The ZE home was most energy efficient HUD-code manufactured home in the country at the time it was
built.
BPA worked with the Nez Perce tribe, Washington State
University Energy Program and the Department of Energy's
Building America Industrialized Housing Partnership,
collaboratively to design, monitor and analyze these homes.
Industry partners provided energy efficient building
components, including Energy Star windows, appliances,
ceiling fans and lighting; spray foam wall, floor and roof
insulation; tighter ductwork and thermal envelope with air
to air heat exchanger for occupant controlled mechanical
ventilation and air source heat pump. Renewable energy
systems included: sun-tempered solar design, a solar
photovoltaic electrical system and solar hot water thermal
system.
Fish provide us with both physical and
spiritual sustenance. Other cultures seem
unable to recognize how those two concepts
go hand in hand. Instead, they see them as
separate, traditional beliefs on one side,
science on the other. For Indian people those
concepts have never been separate. Our fate
and the fate of the fish are linked.
— Jaime Pinkham quote from Salmon and His
People (Landeen and Pinkham, 1999).
Zero Energy Manufactured Home, Nez Perce Fish Hatchery in Idaho. Photo: Washington State University Energy Program
The ZEMH daily average total energy use, with solar panels and solar hot water systems, was 29.4 kWh/day.
The solar photovoltaic system provides an average of 9.9 kWh/day providing roughly one third of the home's
total energy use and provides most of the home's energy in the summer.
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Measured net energy use of the ZEMH was 12% lower than the control Energy Star home, not normalized for
occupant behavior, and the ZEMH required 44% less space heating energy than the Energy Star Home.
The project highlights the importance of occupant choices and behavior on the performance of energy
efficient housing. Based on the preliminary monitoring data and occupant surveys, the behavior patterns of
the ZEMH occupants were not themselves "energy efficient." The high energy use behavior of the ZEMH
occupants actually shortened the payback for the innovative technologies of the ZEMH.
Tribal Involvement: Nez Perce Tribe
Non-Tribal Involvement: Bonneville Power Authority, Washington State University Energy Program,
Department of Energy's Building America Industrialized Housing Partnership, Kit HomeBuilders West and
Northwest Energy Efficient Manufactured Home Program
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Code Incentive Examples
General
Targeted - Materials Reuse and Conservation
• Expedited permitting process
• Expedited easement approval process
• Permit fee waivers or reductions
• Reduced inspections
• Redevelopment incentives
• Retrofitting incentives
• Mixed use and/or density variances
• Construction and demolition waste reduction incentive
Questions to Assess Materials and Resource Conservation
4.1. Environmentally Responsible Materials Selection
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Is there a building procurement policy
Green
Green
that promotes using environmentally
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
responsible materials that:
Incentivized
code/ordinance
• Are energy and water conserving;
Yellow
Yellow
• Have minimal emissions in
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
manufacturing and/or in usage;
• Require/allow healthful
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
code/ordinance
maintenance (do not require
Red
Red
harmful sealants/coatings, are
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
mold/mildew resistant, etc.);
typically approved
• Are of low toxicity.
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Certified WaterSense products
• Certified wood product requirements
• Indoor air emissions requirements
• USDA BioPreferred products
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 53
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Is there a building procurement policy
Green
Green
that promotes using environmentally
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
preferable materials (in manufacturing,
Incentivized
code/ordinance
and operations and maintenance) that:
Yellow
Yellow
• Are based on a renewable source;
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
durable; affordable;
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
code/ordinance
• Contain recycled content;
allowed
• Are energy efficient;
Red
Red
• Are readily reusable and/or
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
recyclable
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
Potential Tools and Techniques:
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• ENERGY STAR Certified Products
• ENERGY STAR Advanced
• Lighting Package
• EPA Comprehensive Procurement
Guidelines (CPG)for recycled content
products
• USDA BioPreferred products
• Green building program or ordinance
with minimum post-consumer
recycled content requirements
• Certified wood product requirements
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 54
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do current or planned regulations or
Green
Green
policies include provisions for the use of
Environmentally Preferable Materials for
building components or assemblies?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
• Foundations - such as rammed
earth, earth bags, stone;
• Floors - such as earth, concrete,
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
wood, stone;
Red
Red
• Exterior Walls - such as rammed
earth, adobe, compressed earth
block, cob, straw bale, advanced
framing with wood, stone;
• Roof framing and decking - such as
wood sheathing, framing, timbers or
trusses;
• Roofing - such as recycled content,
local, salvaged
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Green building program or ordinance
with environmentally preferable
purchasing requirements
• EPA Comprehensive Procurement
Guidelines (CPG)for recycled content
products
• Certified wood product requirements
• USDA BioPreferred products
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 55
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
Do current or planned regulations or
policies include provisions for the use of
Environmentally Preferable Materials for
the following building components or
assemblies?
Insulation;
Exterior finish materials;
Interior finish materials;
Walls, windows and doors;
Paints, sealants, adhesives;
Landscape materials;
Paving/hardscape;
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
Green
Required by code/ordinance
~ Incentivized
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Green
~ Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
~ Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Green building program or ordinance
with environmentally preferable
purchasing minimum post-consumer
recycled content requirements
• Comprehensive Procurement
Guidelines (CPG)for recycled content
construction and landscaping
products
• Certified wood product requirements
• USDA BioPreferred products
• ENERGY STAR Certified windows and
doors
• Low or no VOC paints and sealants
• Use of compost and natural mulch
for landscaping
• Minimize paving or use porous
pavements/paving stones.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 56
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do policies support or encourage the use
Green
Green
of culturally appropriate, traditional or
historic building materials, methods or
designs?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Cultural or Historic Building
ordinance or policy
• Tribal overlay
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do policies support or encourage the use
Green
Green
of tribal, local, natural, and/or non-
industrial building materials, methods or
designs?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Policy preference for tribally sourced
or produced building materials
• Policy preference for building
materials produced within a 500 mile
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
radius, when possible
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• USDA BioPreferred products
Do historic preservation ordinances allow
Green
Green
for reused or recycled building materials
during renovation projects?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Historic preservation ordinance
• Adaptive reuse, or sustainable
design, or historic buildings policy
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 57
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
For new construction, are policies in
Green
Green
place or planned to address proper
precautions for handling of treated
lumber and disposal of waste?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• EPA Treated Lumber website
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Section 4.1 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
4.2. Building Preservation and Reuse
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are there incentives or requirements for
Green
Green
building rehabilitation and
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
redevelopment projects in codes,
Incentivized
code/ordinance
policies or ordinances?
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
• Redevelopment incentives
• Retrofitting incentives
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
code/ordinance
• Post-construction stormwater credits
Red
Red
(a reduction in stormwater fees for
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
property owners who reduce
typically approved
stormwater runoff or improve the
~ Expressly prohibited
quality of their stormwater runoff)
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Is the redevelopment and reuse of
Green
Green
buildings and previously developed land
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
encouraged or allowed?
Incentivized
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
• Rehab or reuse ordinance for older
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
buildings
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
code/ordinance
allowed
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 58
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
• Pedestrian-oriented developments or
Red
Red
transit-oriented development
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Mixed use or density allowances
typically approved
• Adaptive reuse ordinance
~ Expressly prohibited
• Voluntary clean-up programs
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are there allowances for green
Green
Green
renovations or technologies that retain
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
the historic character of registered
Incentivized
code/ordinance
historic properties or resources?
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
• Historic preservation ordinance
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
code/ordinance
• Adaptive reuse, or sustainable
design, or historic buildings policy
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Section 4.2 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
4.3. Durability, Re payability, and Adaptability
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do current or planned codes or policies
Green
Green
support best practices for design and
construction for material efficiency,
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
durability, repairability and adaptability?
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
• Advanced framing techniques
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
code/ordinance
• Development of building
deconstruction/adaptation plan
Red
Red
• Use of exposed connectors (bolts,
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
screws, nails, etc.) and minimize use
typically approved
of chemical adhesives and sealants
~ Expressly prohibited
• Separation of mechanical, electrical,
and plumbing systems
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do current or planned provisions require
Green
Green
a building maintenance manual be
provided to building owners or users?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Maintenance manual could include the
Yellow
Yellow
following:
• Guidance for HVAC, appliances,
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
lighting equipment, and other
Red
Red
components including renewable
energy systems
• Location of water-system turnoffs
• Paving materials and landscaping
• Green cleaning products and
schedule(s)
• Pest control
• An occupancy turnover plan that
includes all materials frequently
replaced; and education for
residents about proper use and
maintenance of building systems
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Maintenance manuals
• Occupancy turnover plan
Do policies or requirements consider
Green
Green
designing for building durability?
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Policies supporting the procurement
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
of repairable, durable building
materials and systems
• Lifecycle cost accounting
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Section 4.3 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
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4.4. Materials and Reuse Conservation
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
Do codes or ordinances specify a
diversion (from landfilling and
incineration) rate for C&D or renovation
materials and require credible reuse and
recycling operations? Credible operations
include reuse and recyclers in compliance
with laws and regulations, government
licensing, and/or third-party,
independent certification.
Potential Tools and Techniques:
C&D ordinances requiring minimum
recycling rate, excluding land
clearing materials
List of credible reuse and recycling
facilities
Materials management plan
requirement
Deconstruction requirements in
demolition or deconstruction permits
Additional time period in permit to
allow for salvaging and
deconstruction
Building permits include C&D
materials diversion deposit or bond
Renovation ordinance requiring
recycling when a project exceeds a
certain value or size
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
Green
Required by code/ordinance
~ Incentivized
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Not Applicable
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Green
~ Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
~ Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
Is there a requirement for a Materials
Management Plan covering both
construction materials and building
operations (indoor and outdoor
collection of materials for reuse,
recycling, composting and disposal)?
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Materials Management Plan
requirement tied to specified reuse,
recycling, and composting
requirements (generally
percentages)
Green
Required by code/ordinance
~ Incentivized
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Not Applicable
Green
~ Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
~ Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do the requirements for the construction
Green
Green
project allow for the reuse, recycling,
and/or composting of C&D materials
(e.g., concrete, drywall, clean wood,
etc.)?
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Policy for on-site grinding and reuse
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
of materials (e.g., concrete, clean
Red
Red
wood, etc.)
• Number of C&D boxes allowed on-
site
• Allowances for stockpiling C&D
materials on-site
• Requirement for contractor
personnel training or certification in
C&D management
• Materials Management Plan
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are there provisions in place that
Green
Green
encourage materials reuse?
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Green building program or
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
ordinance with minimum reuse
requirements for new construction
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are there codes or ordinances requiring
specific area(s) and bins for building
occupants to collect or sort recyclable
materials and materials that require
special handling for disposal?
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Requirement that buildings be
designed or constructed to
accommodate reuse, recycling and
composting by building occupants
• Space allocation guidance or
ordinance for accessible reuse,
recycling, composting, and waste
collection.
• Requirement to provide storage of
discarded thermostats, florescent
bulbs, light ballasts, batteries,
treated lumber, and other items
which may require special disposal
as special or hazardous waste.
1 1 1 1
Section 4.4 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 63
Green
Required by code/ordinance
~ Incentivized
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Not Applicable
Green
~ Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
~ Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
-------
4.5. Green Manufactured Housing
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are there requirements or guidelines in
Green
Green
place for manufactured housing to meet
higher standards for energy use,
durability, and indoor environmental
quality?
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• ENERGY STAR Manufactured
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Housing Certification
Red
Red
• EPA Indoor airPLUS certification
• Northwest Energy Efficient
Manufactured Housing Program
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do manufactured homes in your
Green
Green
community use fuel that is healthier for
the indoor and outdoor environment?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
• Renewable energy (solar, wind,
hydropower)
• Geothermal heat pump
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• All electric preferable to propane or
Red
Red
wood
• If wood is used, procure EPA certified
wood stove
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are there requirements in place or
Green
Green
guidelines for locally, tribally, or
regionally produced manufactured
housing?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Tribal overlay
• Tribal procurement policy
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 64
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are there requirements or guidelines
Green
Green
requiring for proper installation,
operation and maintenance of
manufactured homes?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• ENERGY STAR Manufactured
Housing Certification
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Installation commissioning
Red
Red
• Man uals for operations an d
maintenance
• Training for residents on operations
and maintenance
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are there requirements in place or
Green
Green
guidelines for manufactured housing to
meet specific cultural, traditional or
community standards?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Tribal overlay
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Tribal procurement policy
allowed
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Section 4.5 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
Combine your totals for all subsections and Tribal Priority Totals from Appendix B:
Section 4 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
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Resources for Materials and Resource Conservation
NOTE: The Standards of Ethical Conduct do not permit the U.S. EPA to endorse any private sector website,
product, or service. The U.S. EPA does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find on
these websites.
Durability
• HUD Guide: Durability by Design: A Guide for Residential Builders and Designers - Guidance document with checklists
for designers, builders, and homeowners, https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/durabilitv bv design.pdf
• Durability: A Key Component of Green Building - Article reprinted from Environmental Building News.
https://www.greenbiz.com/article/durabilitv-kev-component-green-building
Building Reuse Information
• EPA Lifecycle Construction Resource Guide - Introduces lifecycle construction and discusses issues of deconstruction,
materials reuse, design for deconstruction, and lifecycle construction resources.
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZvPURL.cgi?Dockev=P1009HHl.txt
• National Trust for Historic Preservation - The National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education,
advocacy, and resources to save America's diverse historic places and revitalize our communities.
https://savingplaces.org/
• City of Los Angeles: Adaptive Reuse Handbook, Second Ed., Feb. 2006 - The Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, first passed in
1999, incentivizes reuse of buildings. Includes the Los Angeles Conservancy's "Incentives for Preserving Historic
Buildings." https://www.scribd.com/document/59239455/Adaptive-Reuse-Book-LA
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Core & Shell Green Building Rating System - Covers base
building elements such as structure, envelope and the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system.
https://www.usgbc.org/discoverleed/certification/bd-c-core-and-shell/
Materials Design for Adaptation and Reuse Information
• EPA/American Institute of Architects Lifecycle Building Challenge - Online competition cataloging design and built
practices to support design for adaptability, deconstruction, and reuse, https://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/
o Resources: https://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/resources.php
o Rating Systems Language: https://www.lifecvclebuilding.org/rating-systems.php
• Building Materials Reuse Association - Facilitates building deconstruction and the recycling/reuse of building
materials, https://www.buildreuse.org/
• CalRecycle - Database of sources for recycled and salvaged building materials.
https://calrecvcle.ca.gov/condemo/products/
• Design for Reuse Primer - Case studies on the reuse of building materials and building design to support reuse and
adaptation. https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/iteps/ORCA/3380 ORCA.pdf
• Habitat for Humanity Restores - Nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers that sell new and gently
used furniture, home accessories, building materials, and appliances to the public at a discount prices.
https://www.habitat.org/restores
• Old to New: Design Guide, Salvaged Building Materials in New Construction - Provides architects with practical
information to encourage the use of salvaged building materials in typical new construction projects.
https://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/docs/Old%20to%20New%20Design%20Guide.pdf
Materials Management and Recycling Information
• EPA Construction and Demolition (C&D) Materials - Information on construction and demolition materials
management, https://www.epa.gov/smm/sustainable-management-construction-and-demolition-materials
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GSA Construction Waste Management Database - National database of C&D recycling service providers that can be
searched by material(s) and zip code, https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/gsa-regions/region-8-rocky-
mountain/sustainability-in-action/construction-and-demolition-waste
CalRecycle C&D Debris Recycling - Information on ordinances, specifications and the C&D recyclers database to find
facilities that collect specific materials. https://calrecycle.ca.gov/ConDemo/
WasteCap Resource Solutions: Construction & Demolition Specification: Construction Waste Management (CWM)
Plan Materials - Construction and demolition materials specifications and training.
https://www.wastecap.org/construction--demolition.html
The Associated General Contractors of America Recycling Toolkit - Resources for contractors to recycle or to use C&D
materials in construction. Includes specifications and information on C&D recycler databases, https://www.agc.org/
Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA) - Organization promoting the environmentally sound recycling
of C&D materials including concrete, asphalt, asphalt shingles, gypsum wallboard, wood and metals.
https://www.cdrecycling.org/
o Concrete: https://www.cdrecycling.org/concrete
o Drywall: https://www.cdrecvcling.org/gypsum-drywall
o Shingles: https://www.shinglerecycling.org/
Materials Selection
• Pharos Project - An online tool providing in-depth, transparent information about what is in building products with
comparative scores on environmental and health impacts, https://pharosproiect.net/
• Declare - A building products labeling system to certify products to meet the requirements of the Living Building
Challenge, https://living-future.org/declare/
• GreenSpec - Green building product specifications and a listing of green building products with detailed product
assessments, https://www.buildinggreen.com/
• Perkins + Will Transparency Lists - Information from the architecture firm Perkins + Will providing information about
environmental and human health impacts of materials, including a list of materials that have been found harmful to
human health and/or the environment, asthma triggers and flame retardants. https://transparency.perkinswill.com/
• Living Building Challenge Red List of Materials - A list of materials, chemicals, and elements known to pose serious
risks to human health and the greater ecosystem that cannot be used in Living Building Projects.
https://living-future.org/red-list/
• Health Product Declarations - A free, standard format for reporting product content and associated health information
for building products and materials overseen by the non-profit Health Product Declaration Collaborative.
https://www.hpd-collaborative.org/
See Resources Sections 5 and 6 for energy efficient and water conserving materials
Certified Products Information
• EPA Buv-Recycled / Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) Program - Provides guidelines on EPA-designated
recycled content construction products used by federal facilities and on federally-funded projects. These guidelines can
also be on non-federal projects.
o Construction: https://www.epa.gov/smm/comprehensive-procurement-guidelines-construction-products
o Landscaping: https://www.epa.gov/smm/comprehensive-procurement-guidelines-landscaping-products
• EPA Using Recycled Industrial Materials in Buildings - Informational sheet discussing the use of recycled industrial
materials in buildings as an alternative to virgin materials and building products.
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPU RL.cgi?Dockey=60000VEM. TXT
• BIFMA/E3 Sustainability Standard for Furniture - Consensus-based method to evaluate the sustainable attributes of
furniture products across the product lifespan, https://www.bifma.org/page/e3-sustainability
• Cradle to Cradle Certification - Criteria certifies Basic, Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels for environmentally intelligent
design, https://c2ccertified.org/
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• GREENGUARD Certification for Low-Emitting Products - GREENGUARD Environmental Institute establishes
performance based standards to define goods with low chemical and particle emissions for use indoors, primarily
building materials, interior furnishings, furniture, cleaning and maintenance products, and electronic equipment. The
site includes adhesives and sealants; wood-based and non-wood-based construction materials; insulation; paints and
coatings; and wall finishes, https://www.ul.com/services/ul-greenguard-certification
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) - A certification system that provides internationally recognized standard-setting,
trademark assurance and accreditation services to companies, organizations, and communities interested in
responsible forestry, https://fsc.org/en
• Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) - Certification program based on principles and measures that promote
sustainable forest management and consider all forest values, https://forests.org/
• Science Certification Systems (SCS) Certified Products Database - Search for certified green building products by
category, manufacturer, certification program, or conformance, https://www.scsglobalservices.com/certified-green-
products-guide
• International Code Council's (ICC) Evaluation Services - Provides interpretations and acceptance of new products that
occur in the marketplace, https://icc-es.org/
• NSF/ANSI140 Sustainability Assessment for Carpet - Consensus- based standard by which to evaluate and certify
sustainability of carpet products across their entire product life cycle.
https://blog.ansi.org/2019/09/nsf-ansi-140-2019-sustainability-carpet/
• NSF/ANSI 336 Sustainability Assessment for Commercial Furnishings Fabric - Consensus- based standard by which to
evaluate and certify sustainability of commercial furnishings fabric products across their entire product life cycle.
https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/nsf/nsfansi3362018
• NSF/ANSI 342 Sustainability Assessment for Wall Coverings - Consensus- based standard by which to evaluate and
certify sustainability of wall coverings products across their entire product life cycle.
https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/nsf/nsfansi3422019
• SCS Recycled and Material Content - SCS provides material content certification assessment services to manufacturers
offering products made from recycled or biodegradable materials as well as Certified Biodegradable, No Added
Formaldehyde, and No Added Urea Formaldehyde products, https://www.scsglobalservices.com/certified-green-
products-guide
• Alameda County, CA Waste Management Authority Green Building Materials Resource Guide - Building materials
directory, https://www.acgov.org/sustain/what/greenbuilding/resources.htm
• California Integrated Waste Management Board - Database for searching Recycled Content Building Products by
product type, https://calrecycle.ca.gov/condemo/products/
• UL100 Sustainability Requirements for Gypsum Board and Panels - Consensus- based standard by which to evaluate
and certify sustainability of gypsum board and panel across their entire product life cycle:
https://explorestandards.ul.org/gypsum-boards-and-panels.html
Straw Bale Wall Information
• Straw Bale Construction Appendix for 2015 International Residential Code (Approved Version) -
https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IRC2018P7/appendix-s-strawbale-construction
• Earthen Plastered Wall Passes ASTM E-119 - 1-hour fire resistance test of a non-load bearing straw bale wall.
https://www.dcat.net/about dcat/current/Non-Bearing Clay Wall.pdf
• Cement Stucco Wall Passes ASTM E-119-05 - 2-hour fire resistance test of a non-load bearing wheat straw bale wall.
https://www.dcat.net/about dcat/current/Cement Stucco Wall.pdf
• City of Boulder, CO Ordinance 5891 - Concerns alternative building materials, including adobe and straw bale
construction and recycled lumber, https://www.dcat.net/about dcat/current/Boulder Straw Bale Code.pdf
• Ecological Building Network Straw Bale Construction Code - Supporting documents and research information on
straw bale construction code issues, https://www.ecobuildnetwork.org/proiects/straw-bale-construction-supporting-
documents
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Earthen Building Information
• Ecological Building Network Earthen Building Resources - Covers resources on adobe, cob, sprayed earth,
bags/tubes/tires, plaster and other earthen building resources.
https://www.ecobuildnetwork.org/proiects/standards/earthen-standards
• ASTM Standard Guide for Design of Earthen Wall Building Systems ASTM E2392/E2392M -
https://www.astm.org/e2392 e2392m-10rl6.html
• Sustainable Sources: Earth Materials - Information and guidelines on building with stone, brick, soils, caliche and soil
block and rammed earth, https://sustainablesources.com/buildinq-materials/earth-material/
• State of New Mexico 2009 Earthen Building Materials Code -
https://www.srca.nm.gov/parts/titlel4/14.007.0004.html
• The Earthbuilders' Guild - Information on preserving and promoting the age old building methods of adobe, rammed
earth and compressed earth block construction, https://www.theearthbuildersguild.com/
• Earthbuilding - Links to global organizations working on earthen building.
https://www.earthbuilding.info/gb/07 links/07-2 links resources.htm
American Society for Testing and Materials Committee Standards - Recycled Industrial Materials
• ASTM Committee C01 Cement - Develops specifications, test methods, recommended practices, and terminology for
hydraulic cements including portland, natural, pozzolanic, masonry, and slag cements, and modifications and
combinations during manufacture of the cements; and investigates the properties of hydraulic cements and promotes
the improvement and uniformity of testing these materials.
https://www.astm.org/get-involved/technical-committees/committee-C01
• ASTM Committee C09 Concrete and Concrete Aggregates - Has jurisdiction over 160 standards published in the
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Volume 04.02. These standards, together with the standards developed by ASTM
Committee C01 on Cement and committees of the American Concrete Institute, are essential to the construction of
civil infrastructure. https://www.astm.org/get-involved/technical-committees/committee-C09
• ASTM Committee Cll Gypsum and Related Building Materials and Systems - Develops specifications, test methods
and applications in the gypsum and related product industries.
https://www.astm.org/get-involved/technical-committees/committee-Cll
• ASTM Committee D04 Road and Paving Materials - Has jurisdiction over 200 standards, published in the Annual Book
of ASTM Standards, Volume 4. These standards are essential to the construction and maintenance of highways and
other transportation construction. https://www.astm.org/get-involved/technical-committees/committee-D04
• ASTM Committee C12 Mortars and Grouts for Unit Masonry - Has jurisdiction over 15 standards, published in the
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Volume 04.05. These standards are essential to the industry of mortar used with
masonry units, including burned clay, shale, sand-lime, concrete and stone, https://www.astm.org/get-
involved/technical-committees/committee-C12
• ASTM Committee E50 Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action - Has jurisdiction over 35
standards published in the Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Volume 11.04. These standards are essential to corrective
action, pollution prevention and beneficial use.
https://www.astm.org/get-involved/technical-committees/committee-E50
• ASTM Committee D34 Waste Management - Has jurisdiction over 125 standards published in the Annual Book of
ASTM Standards, Volume 11.04. These standards are essential to all aspects addressing the generation, storage,
transportation, treatment, recovery, and disposal of wastes generated from industrial, commercial, residential and
institutional sources. https://www.astm.org/get-involved/technical-committees/committee-D34
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Hazardous Materials: Asbestos, Mercury, Lead Based Paint, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and
Treated Lumber Information
• EPA Asbestos Information - Asbestos is a mineral fiber that was used in a variety of building construction materials for
insulation and as a fire-retardant (roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, paper products, and asbestos cement
products). When asbestos-containing materials are damaged or disturbed by repair, remodeling or demolition
activities, microscopic fibers can be inhaled into the lungs, where they can cause significant health problems. EPA rules
and regulation on asbestos operations and regulations, https://www.epa.gov/asbestos
• EPA Recommended Management and Disposal Options for Mercury-Containing Products - Mercury can be found in
many residential building materials, including: airflow/fan limit controls, appliances, barometers, gas flow or gas
pressure regulators, heating and cooling systems, Honeywell heat generators/mercury seal generators, lamps and
lightbulbs, latex paint, pesticides, plumbing, security systems, thermostats, and tilt switches. Mercury-containing
products should be carefully managed as hazardous waste and removed prior to building deconstruction or demolition.
https://www.epa.gov/mercury/storing-transporting-and-disposing-mercury
• EPA Before You Tear It Down, Get the Mercury Out - Recommended management practices for pre-demolition
removal of mercury-containing devices from residential buildings.
https://www.epa.gov/mercurv/fact-sheet-you-tear-it-down-get-mercury-out
• EPA Lead Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Program - Requires firms performing renovation, repair, and
painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, childcare facilities and pre-schools built before 1978 have
their firm certified by EPA (or an EPA authorized state), use certified renovators who are trained by EPA-approved
training providers and follow lead-safe work practices.
https://www.epa.gov/lead/lead-renovation-repair-and-painting-program
• EPA PCBs in Caulk in Older Buildings Information - Caulk containing potentially harmful polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs) was used in many buildings, including schools, in the 1950s through the 1970s. Provides information on
minimizing exposure, testing, and recommendations for renovation contractors, https://www.epa.gov/large-scale-
residential-demolition/pcbs-caulk-and-residential-demolition
• EPA Treated Wood Information - Provides information on treated lumber risks, regulation, and alternatives.
https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/overview-wood-preservative-chemicals
Air Quality Performance Information
• EPA Indoor airPLUS - Helps builders meet the growing consumer preference for homes with improved indoor air
quality. Construction specifications focus on seven areas, including the careful selection of and installation of moisture
control systems; heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems; combustion-venting systems; radon resistant
construction; and low-emitting building materials, https://www.epa.gov/indoorairplus
• EPA Building Air Quality: A Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers - Provides practical suggestions on
preventing, identifying, and resolving indoor air quality problems in public and commercial buildings.
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-qualitv-iaq/building-air-quality-guide-guide-building-owners-and-facility-managers
• EPA Healthy Indoor Environmental Protocols for Home Energy Upgrades - Guidance to protect indoor air quality
while installing home energy upgrades, https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/energy-savings-plus-health-indoor-
air-quality-guidelines
• EPA The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality - A booklet on reducing the risk from existing sources of indoor air
pollution and to prevent new problems from occurring, https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/inside-story-guide-
indoor-air-quality
• Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) Indoor Air Quality Guidelines for
Occupied Buildings Under Construction - Trade association that publishes voluntary technical standards and manuals
that address many areas of the sheet metal industry. Requires membership.
https://store.smacna.org/iaq-guidelines-for-occupied-buildings-under-construction
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• American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) - ASHRAE advances heat, ventilation, air
conditioning and refrigeration research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.
https://www.ashrae.org/
• Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) - Voluntary technical standards and
manuals on ventilation systems, https://www.smacna.org/
• The American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation - Contains a database of U.S. tobacco control laws and ordinances.
https://no-smoke.org/
• EPA Certified Wood Stoves - Certified wood stove information and product list to promote improved safety and
efficiency, https://www.epa.gov/burnwise/epa-certified-wood-stoves
Reuse, Recycling, Compost and Disposal Space Allocation
• CalRecycle Recycling Space Allocation Guide and Ordinances - Provides guidance on recycling collection site
allocation. https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/Publications/Details/832
Green Manufactured Housing Information
• EPA Indoor airPLUS Certification - Information, construction specifications, and technical resources to protect indoor
air quality that can be applied to manufactured housing, https://www.epa.gov/indoorairplus
• HUD Manufactured Home Consumer Guide - Information on manufactured housing, relocation and financing.
https://www.hud.gov/program offices/housing/rmra/mhs/csp/mhcqa
• Manufactured Home Code - Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (HUD Code) covers manufactured
home and the homes display a red certification label on the exterior of each transportable section.
https://www.hud.gov/program offices/housing/rmra/mhs/smhi
• HUD Manufactured Home Installation Regulations - HUD manufactured home installation regulations.
https://www.hud.gov/program offices/housing/rmra/mhs/mhip
• HUD Manufactured Home Consumer Complaints - Provides State Administrative Agency and HUD contacts for
consumer manufactured housing complaints, https://www.hud.gov/complaints/manufactured housing
• ENERGY STAR Qualified Manufactured Homes - Guidance on producing and installing ENERGY STAR Manufactured
Homes for production plants, retailers, installers, and contractors.
https://www.energystar.gov/partner resources/residential new/working/builders developers/guidelines plants
• Eco-Rated Green Engineered Home Certification Program - An energy and environmental efficient certification
program designed for engineered factory built homes developed by the Northwest Energy Efficient Manufactured
Home Program, https://www.neemhomes.com/efficiency-certified
• Northwest Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Program - Residential energy efficiency program focusing on
manufactured housing in the Northwest that has certified over 200,000 homes. NEEM/ENERGY STAR homes are
certified by the State Energy Offices where they are manufactured in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, or California.
https://www.neemhomes.com/
• Bonneville Power Administration Weatherization Specifications - Best practices apply to existing residential (retrofit)
weatherization for electrically heated single family and manufactured homes.
https://www.bpa.gov/energy-and-services/efficiency/residential/weatherization
• Department of Energy Energy-Efficient Manufactured Homes - Information on manufactured home energy efficiency
and renewable energy design, remodel and retrofit opportunities, https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/energy-
efficient-manufactured-homes
• Zero Energy Manufactured Homes Information - The Zero-Energy Manufactured Home program demonstrates,
evaluates, and promotes innovative energy-saving technologies for use in HUD-code housing.
https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/zerh-manufactured-homes
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The Potawot Health Village in Areata, California, features a 20-acre Conservation Easement, native plants and a wellness garden. Photo: United Indian Health
Services
SECTION 5: ASSESSMENT-HUMAN HEALTH:
RADON, MOLD AND OTHER HAZARDOUS
POLLUTANTS
Harmful pollutants inside our homes and buildings can damage occupant health. The indoor environment is where
community members may spend 50 - 90% of their time. Indoor environmental hazards can cause both immediate
and long-term health problems for occupants.
Though the indoor environment may seem like a refuge from outdoor air pollution, research has shown that air
within homes and buildings can be more polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized
cities. Lead based paint, asbestos, and cleaning supplies can also pollute buildings. Hazardous materials and
emissions can enter people's bodies in many ways: breathing, touching, eating or drinking.
Building codes can help prevent environmental health problems for all occupants, especially the most vulnerable
members of the community - children, pregnant women, elders, and those with preexisting health conditions.
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Children, while developing in the womb or growing up into young adults are especially vulnerable to the harmful
effects of environmental toxics because:
• Children often crawl and play close to the ground making them more likely to contact dirt and dust, which
can include environmental hazards
• Children often put their hands, toys, and other items into their mouths
• Children eat, breathe and drink more relative to their body mass than adults do
• Children's natural defenses are less developed
Key Terms:
Radon: A cancer-causing, invisible, radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in
soil, rock and water. Radon is a human health concern in buildings because it causes lung cancer and is
found in a wide range of areas.
Molds: Molds are living organisms that belong to the kingdom Fungi. Molds produce spores that float in the
air, land on damp surfaces, and grow. Inhaling or touching molds can cause hay fever-type symptoms such
as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, skin rashes, and asthma attacks.
Key Questions:
Is testing for radon - a radioactive gas that can seep into buildings - being conducted on homes and schools?
Are buildings designed and maintained to reduce mold and moisture impacts.
Are building materials free of toxic substances such as lead based paint, formaldehyde and volatile organic
compounds.
5.1. Radon Resistant Building
Radon is an invisible radioactive gas resulting from the breakdown of in-ground trace uranium, and is found at many
homes and buildings throughout the U.S. The U.S. Surgeon General and EPA estimate exposure to radon causes
more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths.
Radon Risk is Significant on Tribal Lands. Radon has been found in elevated levels in every state. No
area of our country is risk-free. Nationwide, 1 in 15 homes test above the action level established by EPA
of 4.0 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L). Results on the Spokane Indian Reservation are even higher at
almost 1 in 3 homes.
Source: Twa'le Abrahason-Swan of the Spokane Tribe of Indians, Air Quality Program. Written Testimony Submitted April 3, 2014, to the
U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee
Radon can be reduced in buildings through cost effective radon resistant building practices. The Surgeon General
and EPA recommend testing for radon and reducing radon in homes that have high levels. Homes with a radon level
confirmed to be 4 pCi/L or higher should be fixed. Radon levels less than 4 pCi/L still pose a risk, and in many cases
may be reduced.
Some radon reduction systems can reduce radon levels in homes by up to 99%. New home radon resistant building
requirement costs are minimal, and more than 1.5 million homes have been built since 1990 using radon-resistant
techniques. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs and maintaining a
radon reduction system takes little effort.
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Zone 1
Zone 2
Zone 3
EPA Map of Radon Zones
According to the Center
for Disease Control,
American Indian/Alaska
Natives have a higher
prevalence of smoking
than most other
racial/ethnic groups in
the United States, making
cigarette smoking plus
exposure to radon gas a
serious problem to the
health of Tribal
populations.
This radon map and additional radon maps are available at: http://www.epa.gov/radon/zonemap.html
Key Strategies:
Test for Radon - the U.S. Surgeon General and U.S. EPA recommend that ali homes and schools test for
radon.
Provide residents with the U.S. EPA Citizen's Guide to Radon, encourage them to test for radon.
If necessary, use certified contractors to fix homes with high radon levels.
Require radon resistant new construction through building code requirements.
5.2. Mold
Molds are microscopic fungi that live and grow on organic (carbon-containing) material. They reproduce by releasing
tiny spores into the air. Mold may begin growing indoors if mold spores come into contact with a moist surface, such
as on drywall that has been exposed to a plumbing leak or around windows where moisture condenses.
All molds have the potential to affect health. Molds produce allergens, irritants, and in some cases, toxins that may
cause serious health problems in humans. The types and severity of symptoms depend, in part, on the types of
mold, the extent of exposure, the age of the individual and existing sensitivities or allergies. EPA has detailed
information on how to clean up mold and what to wear when cleaning moldy areas. (EPA's Brief Guide to Mold,
Moisture and Your Home: https://www.epa.gov/mold/brief-guide-mold-moisture-and-your-home).
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Magnified mold spores.
Hidden mold growing behind wallpaper.
Key Strategies:
Avoid exposure to mold (see discussions: What to Wear When Cleaning Moldy Areas and Hidden Mold).
Repair leaks and clean and repair roof gutters regularly.
Make sure the ground slopes away from the building foundation, so that water does not enter or collect
around the foundation.
Keep air conditioning drip pans clean and the drain lines unobstructed and flowing properly.
Vent appliances that produce moisture, such as clothes dryers, stoves, and kerosene heaters to the outside
where possible. (Combustion appliances such as stoves and kerosene heaters produce water vapor and will
increase the humidity unless vented to the outside.)
Cover cold surfaces, such as cold water pipes, with insulation. Scrub mold off hard surfaces with detergent
and water, and dry completely.
Absorbent or porous materials, such as ceiling tiles and carpet, may have to be thrown away if they become
moldy.
It is important to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth.
5.3 Particulate Matter, Vapor and Gases - Stoves, Heaters, Fireplaces, and
Chimneys
In addition to environmental tobacco smoke, unvented kerosene and gas space heaters, woodstoves, fireplaces and
gas stoves can cause indoor air pollution. The major pollutants released are carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and
particles. Unvented kerosene heaters may also generate acid aerosols.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 75
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!XTK
Relative Emissions of Fine Particles
* Average emittiont
(Ibs/MMBtus of heal output)
(or licat source type. Data
from US EPA
1.4
Fireplace Uncertified EPA
Woodstove Certified
Wo odstove
Source: U.S. EPA,. "Consumers: Energy Efficiency and Wood Burning Stoves and Fireplaces," http://epa.gov/burnwise/energyefficiency.html
Key Strategies:
Never use a gas stove to heat your home
Require properly sized cleaner-burning heating appliances such as: electric furnaces, natural gas or propane
stoves or EPA-certified wood and pellet stoves,
While a space heater is in use, open a door from the room where the heater is located to the rest of the
house and open a window slightly
Install and use exhaust fans over gas cooking stoves and ranges and keep the burners properly adjusted
Have central air handling systems, including furnaces, flues, and chimneys, inspected annually and promptly
repair cracks or damaged parts
Require smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
5.4 Non-Toxic and Low-Emitting Materials
Choosing non-toxic and low-emitting building materials, finishes and furnishings is a critical healthy home practice.
For example, materials and products containing lead, asbestos and mercury should be avoided. Specific standards on
low-emitting materials that can be referenced in procurement documents and verified by personnel overseeing the
construction process are provided below in the Checklist and Resource sections.
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Case Study: Spokane Tribe
The Spokane Tribe, located on more than 157,000 acres northwest of Spokane, Washington, was interested in
adopting building codes to support the implementation of HUD Sustainable Communities grants. Specific
issues the Tribe wanted their codes to address included:
• Radionuclides and radon contamination of water and air
• Mold
• Energy efficiency
• Quality and durability of construction
An EPA contractor supported a two-day Building Codes Workshop with 18 government and community
members. The Workshop included facilitated dialogue, education, goal setting and consensus building
followed by strategic planning with the Tribe's HUD Community Challenge Grant Team. The process led to a
draft codes package including a cultural code. The proposed codes package includes:
2012 ICC Residential, Non-Residential and Green Codes (with amendments to better serve the Tribe)
Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard (with amendments to better serve the Tribe)
Radon Standard
Greywater Code
Tribal Overlay of additional sustainability goals and cultural values
Owner builder package highlighting minimum health and safety standards, voluntary code elements
and educational resources.
Spokane Indian Housing Authority Community Pavillion, Photo: Kari Hutchison
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Tribal Involvement: Representatives from the Tribe's HUD Community Challenge Grant Team, Planning
Department, Housing Authority, Environmental Department, Health and Human Services, Emergency Services
and Community Members.
Non-Tribal Involvement: U.S. EPA Region 9; HUD; Development Center for Appropriate Technology,
GreenWeaver Inc.
Code Incentive Examples
General
Targeted - Healthy Building Techniques
• Expedited permitting process
• Expedited easement approval process
• Permit fee waivers or reductions
• Reduced inspections
• Incentives tied to meeting standards for low-emitting
materials, finishes and/or furnishings
Questions to Assess Healthy Building Techniques
5.1. Radon Resistant Building Techniques
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or policies require homes and
Green
Green
schools to be tested for radon?
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• National Radon Program Services
Test Kit - Kansas State University
• State Test Kit Programs
• EPA Managing Radon in Schools Fact
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Sheet
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 78
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are existing homes with radon levels of 4
Green
Green
pCi/L or more fixed by a qualified radon
professional?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
• EPA Consumer's Guide to Radon
Reduction
• Use State or National Radon
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Program contacts to find qualified
Red
Red
radon professionals.
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do new homes or renovated homes
Green
Green
require radon resistant building
techniques?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
• Radon Resistant Building Codes and
Standards
o EPA Indoor Air PLUS Radon
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Resistant Construction
Red
Red
Requirements
o State Radon Resistant New
Construction Codes
o ANSI-AARSTstandard of
practice for Reducing Radon in
New Construction ofl&2 Family
Dwellings and Townhouses
(CCAH-2013).
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Section 5.1 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
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5.2. Mold Resistant Building Techniques
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or policies address moisture
Green
Green
control and mold prevention for new or
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
renovated homes?
Incentivized
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
• Ensure adequate ventilation of
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
code/ordinance
homes, especially bathrooms,
allowed
laundry rooms
Red
Red
• Use appropriate building materials
to reduce moisture and prevent
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
leaks
~ Expressly prohibited
• Educate occupants on moisture
control and thoroughly cleaning and
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
drying water damaged areas and
items within 24-48 hours to prevent
mold
Do construction requirements mitigate
Green
Green
moisture damage?
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Incentivized
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
• EPA Indoor air PLUS
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
• Ordinance requiring construction
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
code/ordinance
plans that include protecting
allowed
absorptive materials from moisture
Red
Red
damage during construction and
installation
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 80
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do new or renovated homes require
Green
Green
mold resistant building techniques?
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• EPA Indoor air PLUS
Incentivized
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
• Air barriers and house wraps
• Capillary breaks below concrete
slabs and in crawlspaces
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Building continuous drainage planes
Red
Red
behind exterior cladding, properly
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
flashed to foundation
• Damp or water-proof foundation
walls
• Insulated basement and foundation
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
walls
• Window and door openings and roof
or wall intersections fully flashed
Section 5.2 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
5.3. Particulate Matter, Vapor and Gas Reduction Techniques
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or policies require the
Green
Green
installation of Carbon Monoxide (CO)
and smoke detectors in homes?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
• EPA Indoor airPLUS
• Require installation and
maintenance of CO detectors
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Ensure proper ventilation of fuel-
Red
Red
burning devices
• Educate occupants
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 81
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are smoking bans in place in public
Green
Green
housing or commercial buildings to
eliminate smoke from indoor air?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
• Smoking bans inside buildings
• Minimum setbacks of designated
smoking areas from the building
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
entrance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do codes or policies minimize building
Green
Green
occupants' exposure to particulate
matter, VOCs and other pollutants from
outdoor air pollution created by vehicles
and industry?
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• EPA Indoor airPLUS
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Construct buildings away from
Red
Red
sources of outdoor air pollution
• Locate ventilation inputs away from
parking lots
• Adequately seal off garages
• Use best available ventilation
technology
• Educate occupants on maintenance
of ventilation filters
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are there requirements for controlling
Green
Green
indoor particulate matter?
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• EPA Indoor airPLUS
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
• Minimum particulate matter filter
ratings required
• Ensure entryway track-off systems
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Use non-toxic building and
Red
Red
maintenance materials, avoid
flammable materials
• Educate occupants on non-toxic
maintenance options and integrated
pest management
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
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Section 5.3 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
5.4. Asbestos and Lead Free Building Techniques
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or policies inhibit the use of
Green
Green
building materials that contain asbestos
for new or renovated homes?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
• EPA Indoor air PLUS
• Use asbestos-free materials
• Asbestos remediation
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Educate occupants on how to safely
Red
Red
handle materials with asbestos
(insulation, lagging)
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do codes or policies inhibit the use of
Green
Green
building materials that contain lead for
new or renovated homes?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
• EPA Indoor air PLUS
• Use lead-free paint
• Remediate existing lead paint
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Educate occupants on how to safely
Red
Red
handle chipped paint
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
For repair, renovation and/or demolition
Green
Green
of existing buildings, are policies in place
or planned to address proper
precautions for testing, handling, and
disposal of asbestos, lead based paint,
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),
mercury, and treated lumber?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Red
Red
• EPA asbestos website
• EPA lead based paint Renovation,
Repair and Painting Program
(Training and Contractor
Certification)
• EPA Recommended Management
and Disposal Options for Mercury-
Containing Products
• EPA polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
in caulk website
• EPA treated lumber website
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Section 5.4 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
5.5. Low-Emitting Material Building Techniques
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or policies encourage the use
Green
Green
of low-emitting materials for floor
coverings?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
• EPA Indoor airPLUS
• Minimum floor covering emission
requirements (as determined by
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
standards, such as CA/DHS/EHLB/R-
Red
Red
174)
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 84
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or policies encourage the use
Green
Green
of low-emitting composite materials?
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• EPA Indoor airPLUS
Incentivized
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
• Minimum composite wood and
agrifiber product emission
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
requirements (as determined by
standards, such as California Air
Red
Red
Resource Board's regulation,
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
Airborne Toxic Control Measure to
typically approved
Reduce Formaldehyde Emissions for
~ Expressly prohibited
Composite Wood Products or
CA/DHS/EHLB/R-174)
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Certified low-formaldehyde pressed
wood materials used
Do codes or policies encourage the use
Green
Green
of low-emitting materials for ceiling and
wall systems?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
• EPA Indoor airPLUS
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
• Minimum ceiling and wall system
emission requirements (as
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
code/ordinance
determined by standards, such as
Red
Red
CA/DHS/EHLB/R-174).
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are no or low-emitting (low VOC)
Green
Green
materials required or encouraged for
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings,
Incentivized
code/ordinance
cleaners and aerosols?
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
• EPA Indoor AirPLUS
Code/ordinance silent, but
code/ordinance
• Low or no emitting adhesives,
typically allowed
sealant, paints, and coatings
Red
Red
emission requirements (as
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
determined by standards, such as
typically approved
California 01350 (California
~ Expressly prohibited
Department of Homeland Security/
Environmental Health Laboratory
Branch-R-174), Green Seal
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Standard GS-11, South Coast Air
Quality Management District
(SCAQMD) Rule 1113, or Green Seal
Standard GC-36)
• Carpet, adhesives, and cushion
qualify for Carpet and Rug Institute
(CRI) Green Label Plus or Green
Label testing program
• Green Cleaning Products and
Practices
Are building designs that minimizes pest
Green
Green
exposure encouraged?
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Foundation joints and penetrations
Incentivized
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
sealed, including air-tight sump
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
covers
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
code/ordinance
• Corrosion-proof rodent or bird
allowed
screens installed at all openings that
Red
Red
cannot be fully sealed (e.g., attic
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
vents).
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 86
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or policies encourage the use
Green
Green
of low-emitting materials for office
furniture systems and seating?
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• EPA Indoor airPLUS
• Minimum office furniture system and
seating emission requirements (as
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
determined by standards, such as
Red
Red
ANSI/Business and Institutional
Furniture Manufacturer's
Association (BIFMA) Standard M7.1).
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Section 5.5 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
Combine your totals for all subsections and Tribal Priority Totals from Appendix B:
Section 5 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
Resources: Healthy Building
NOTE: The Standards of Ethical Conduct do not permit the U.S. EPA to endorse any private sector website, product, or
service. The U.S. EPA does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find on these websites.
Healthy Building (General)
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC) - A Healthy Home for Everyone - Tools and training promoting holistic approaches
to healthy home siting, design, construction, renovation and maintenance.
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/publications/final companion piece.pdf
• CDC/HUD - National Healthy Housing Reference Manual - A reference document for public health and housing
professionals, https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/publications/books/housing/housing ref manual 2012.pdf
• National Center for Healthy Housing - A nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing healthy, green and safe
homes through research, education and policy efforts, https://nchh.org/
• Healthy Building Network - A nonprofit organization working to reduce hazardous chemicals in building products as a
means of improving human health and the environment, https://healthybuilding.net/
Indoor Air Quality (General)
• EPA Indoor Air Quality Tribal Partners Program - A wide range of Indoor Air Quality information and resources for
tribes, https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/indoor-air-quality-tribal-partners-program
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 87
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Indoor Air Quality in Tribal Communities (IAQTC) - The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) was
created to act as a catalyst among tribal governments in support of environmental protection of Native American
natural resources, https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/
EPA Tribal Air Home - Website designed to strengthen EPA and tribal air quality programs in Indian country. Resources
include funding information, school air toxics information, contact information for EPA Tribal Air Coordinators and
announcements, https://www.epa.gov/tribal-air
EPA Indoor airPLUS - Available construction specifications cover the selection of and installation of moisture control
systems; heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems; combustion-venting systems; radon resistant construction;
and low-emitting building materials, https://www.epa.gov/indoorairplus
EPA Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Website - EPA's Indoor Air Quality page, with resources, publications and EPA activities.
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq
An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality - This EPA website presents links and general information about known indoor
environmental pollutants, their sources and related health problems.
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/introduction-indoor-air-quality
The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality-This comprehensive publication, coauthored by EPA and the
Consumer Product Safety Commission, describes sources of air pollution in the home and office, corrective strategies,
and specific measures for reducing radon, household chemicals, biological contaminants, carbon monoxide,
formaldehyde, pesticides, asbestos and lead, https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/inside-story-guide-indoor-
air-quality
Residential Air Cleaners (Second Edition) - This publication focuses on air cleaners for residential use. It should be
particularly useful to residential housing design professionals, public health officials and indoor air quality
professionals, http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/residair.html
Healthy Buildings, Healthy People: A Vision for the 21st Century-This document lays out a blueprint by which
agencies and individuals across the country, and around the world, can focus their efforts towards improvements in the
indoor environment and health, https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/healthy-buildings-healthy-people-vision-
21st-century
IAQ Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM) - Tool designed for use by building professionals and others
interested in indoor air quality in commercial buildings. I-BEAM updates and expands EPA's Building Air Quality
guidance and provides comprehensive state-of-the-art guidance for managing IAQ in commercial buildings.
https://19ianuary2017snapshot.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/indoor-air-quality-building-education-and-assessment-
model .html
ASHRAE Indoor Air Quality Guide: Best Practices for Design, Construction and Commissioning - Resource created by
the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), EPA, and partners to provide
guidance on designing, constructing and operating building using best practices for indoor air quality.
https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/bookstore/indoor-air-quality-guide
ASHRAE Indoor Air Quality Resources - American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
(ASHRAEs) various indoor air quality resources, including an indoor air quality trainings and publications.
https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/bookstore/indoor-air-quality-resources
ASHRAE Free Resources-This page lists all ASHRAE resources that are free to the public, including publications,
software, resources for consumers. https://www.ashrae.Org/technical-resources/free-resources#everyone
EPA AirData - Many indoor air pollutants have outdoor sources such as near-roadway pollution, wildfires, and pollen.
Access location-specific monitored air quality data and for the entire United States from EPA's Air Quality System Data
Mart, https://www.epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data
EPA National Emissions Inventory-The National Emissions Inventory (NEI) is a comprehensive and detailed estimate
of air emissions of both Criteria and Hazardous air pollutants from all air emissions sources.
https://www.epa.gov/air-emissions-inventories/national-emissions-inventory-nei
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 88
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Low-Emitting Materials and Products Information
• EPA Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program - EPA's program to evaluate and regulate substitutes for the
ozone-depleting chemicals that are being phased out under the Clean Air Act, including refrigerants, air conditioning,
cleaning solvents and adhesives. https://www.epa.gov/snap
• California Section 01350 - Low Emitting Materials Specifications - Specifications covering environmental and public
health considerations for building projects. It establishes goals and provides an overview of special environmental
requirements, such as guidelines for energy, materials, water efficiency, indoor air quality, nontoxic performance
standards for cleaning and maintenance products, https://calrecycle.ca.gov/greenbuilding/
• South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1113 - Architectural coatings rule.
https://www.aqmd.gov/home/rules-compliance/compliance/vocs/architectural-coatings
• Green Seal - Certifies environmentally preferable products including electric chillers, paints and coatings, windows and
doors, floor finishes and strippers institutional/industrial cleaners, etc. http://www.greenseal.org/
o Green Seal Standard GS-11 - Paints and coatings standard.
https://greenseal.org/standards/gs-ll-paints-coatings-stains-and-sealers/
o Green Seal Standard GC-36 - Adhesives for commercial use standard.
https://greenseal.org/standards/gs-36-adhesives-for-commercial-use/
• San Francisco Department of the Environment Green Cleaning - Green cleaning product lists and multi-lingual training
materials on cleaning techniques, https://www.sfdph.org/dph/eh/green/greenprgrm.asp
• Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) Recommended Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Specifications - Specification for carpet floor
covering adhesive, and carpet cushion, https://carpet-rug.org/testing/green-label-plus/
• GREENGUARD Certification for Low-Emitting Products -Performance based standards to define goods with low
chemical and particle emissions for use indoors, primarily building materials, interior furnishings, furniture, cleaning
and maintenance products, and electronic equipment - includes adhesives and sealants; wood-based and non-wood-
based construction materials; insulation; paints and coatings; and wall finishes.
https://www.ul.com/services/ul-greenguard-certification
• Green Label Plus - Advanced certification for carpet and adhesive products by the Carpet & Rug Institute that ensures
carpets cushions and adhesive products have low VOC emissions, https://carpet-rug.org/testing/green-label-plus/
• Scientific Certification Systems (SCS): Indoor Air Quality - Offers three IAQ certification programs to improve the
environmental performance of building products: Indoor Advantage, Indoor Advantage Gold, and FloorScore. Site
includes information on IAQ standards and references, and certified IAQ products.
https://www.scsglobalservices.com/services/indoor-air-quality-certification
• BIFMA/E3 Sustainability Standard for Furniture - Consensus-based method to evaluate the sustainable attributes of
furniture products across the product lifespan: https://www.bifma.org/page/e3-sustainability
• Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) - Green Label programs for carpets and adhesives. https://carpet-rug.org/
Radon Resistant Building
• EPA Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications - New Construction - Specifications to support healthy indoor air
quality, including radon resistant building techniques.
https://www.epa.gov/indoorairplus/indoor-airplus-program-documents
• EPA Radon Website - Information and links on protecting people and families from radon. Exposure to radon in the
home is responsible for an estimated 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year, and simple radon resistant building
practices can prevent save lives, https://www.epa.gov/radon
• Radon Leaders Website - An online learning and action network that connects radon stakeholders through outreach
materials, interactive tools (e.g. Blogs, Discussion Forums) and resources, http://www.radonleaders.org/
• EPA Where Can I Get a Radon Test Kit? - Information on national and state Radon Test Kit providers.
https://www.epa.gov/radon/find-radon-test-kit-or-measurement-and-mitigation-professional
• National Radon Program Services (Kansas State University) - Provides affordable short (3-4 days) and long (3-12
months) term radon test kits for homes in the United States, https://sosradon.org/test-kits
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 89
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• EPA Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction - Detailed guide and checklist on radon reduction techniques and working
with contractors to reduce radon levels in your home.
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-12/documents/2016 consumers guide to radon reduction.pdf
• EPA Building Radon Out - Step-by-step guide for builders on building healthier, radon-resistant homes.
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-08/documents/buildradonout.pdf
• ANSI-AARST Standard: Reducing Radon in New Construction of 1 & 2 Family Dwellings and Townhouses - Standard
written in code language to reduce radon in new homes. Checklists and contractor resource links are also included.
https://standards.aarst.org/
• EPA Managing Radon in Schools - EPA recommends testing all schools for radon. This fact sheet shares the Indoor Air
Quality Tools for School Approach to successfully managing radon in schools.
https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools/managing-radon-schools
• Listing of States and Local Jurisdictions with Radon Resistant New Construction Codes-
https://www.epa.gov/radon/building-codes-and-standards-radon-resistant-new-construction-rrnc
Mold
• EPA Mold Website - Includes on-line courses on mold basics and many mold resources and publications.
https://www.epa.gov/mold
• EPA Moisture Control Guidance for Building Design, Construction and Maintenance - This document provides
building professionals with practical guidance to control moisture in buildings during design, construction and
maintenance, https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/moisture-control-guidance-building-design-construction-
and-maintenance-0
• Center for Disease Control Mold Website - Provides information on mold and health, an inventory of state indoor air
quality programs, advice on assessment, cleanup efforts, and prevention of mold growth, and links to resources.
https://www.cdc.gov/mold/
• HUD Healthy Homes Mold and Moisture Website - Information on preventing and getting rid of mold.
https://www.hud.gov/program offices/healthy homes/healthyhomes/mold
Heating Systems
• EPA Burn Wise - An EPA partnership program emphasizing the importance of burning the right wood, the right way, in
the right wood-burning appliance to protect your home and health. Wood burning appliance change-out program and
best burn practice information, https://www.epa.gov/burnwise
• EPA Burn Wise Certified Appliances - EPA certified wood stoves, pellet stoves, fireplaces, hydronic heaters and gas
stove information and lists, https://www.epa.gov/burnwise/choosing-wood-burning-appliances
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 90
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Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians in California: Solarthermal system on top of Chumash Casino Resort
SECTION 6: ASSESSMENT - ENERGY
EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Energy efficiency is an essential aspect of green building. Through energy efficiency, heating and cooling loads can
be reduced, which means that, if those loads are met with energy from fossil fuels, the carbon footprint of a building
is reduced. Also, by reducing heating and cooling loads through energy efficiency, passive solar design and other
renewable energy technologies become more practicable.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 91
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6.1. Passive Solar Design
Passive solar design takes advantage of natural heating and cooling cycles to efficiently reduce active energy use.
Passive energy uses thermal mass such as a building's walls, water, or earth to absorb heat energy from the sun, and
then radiate this heat. Passive energy does not require a distribution system, such as an electricity grid or gas
pipelines.
Energy efficient design strategies utilize the passive solar strategies. The climates of many tribal lands create both
heating and cooling demands for buildings, but in some locations one is significantly more important than the other,
and in some places only heating or cooling is needed.
Passive solar design with daylighting. Photo: U.S. Department of Energy Skylight for natural daylighting Photo: U.S. Department of Energy
Key Strategies in North America include:
Proper siting, orientation, and building design to optimize heat gain from the sun during the winter and/or
to minimize it during the summer
o Orient long axis of the house east-west where heat gain in winter is desired
o Install glass and, or windows on the south and east sides of a building
o Minimize skylights and west-facing glass where summer cooling is important
o Size roof overhangs so the low winter sun penetrates the building, but windows are shaded from high
summer sun
o Specify windows with high solar heat gain coefficient
o Install thermal mass (thick tile, stone, concrete, earthen materials, water) in areas where winter sun
penetrates to collect and store solar heat (e.g., concrete, stone or adobe floors or "trombe walls")
Maximize south sloping roof area if installing, or planning for, solar photovoltaic or solar hot water panels
Efficient thermal envelope (high insulation values, low air infiltration, double glazed windows, and low-
emissivity glass)
Plant vegetation that shades windows from unwanted summer sun, but not the desired winter sun
Consider benefits or detriments of shading existing adjacent buildings in siting of new construction
Provide passive cooling with nighttime ventilation that flushes heat out with cooler nighttime air (e.g., with
thermal chimneys, clerestory windows, or with minimal powered assistance of "whole house fans")
Use of evaporative cooling methods
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 92
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6.2. Energy Efficiency and Optimizing Building Performance
Optimizing a building's energy performance reduces the costs associated with energy use, and the environmental
impacts, such as air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Key Strategies:
Enact and implement the International Energy Conservation Code
ENERGY STAR Homes Certification
ENERGY STAR/energy efficient appliances and technologies, such as:
o Lighting
o Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC)
o Water heating, plumbing, and pumping
o Kitchen appliances
ENERGY STAR/energy efficient windows and doors
Use of off-grid systems
Energy audits and commissioning
Diverse generation and storage systems
6.3. Renewable Energy - Generation, Storage, and
Distribution
On-site renewable energy generation can produce significant
environmental, economic, and sovereignty benefits. On-site renewable
energy reduces energy costs by decreasing a building's susceptibility to
fossil fuel price volatility. It also reduces air pollution and greenhouse gas
emissions. Tribal generation of renewable energy can support tribal
sovereignty and self-sufficiency by reducing reliance on non-tribal utility
sources.
While tribal lands comprise 2% of U.S. lands, technical potential on tribal
lands comprises 4.8% of the total national U.S. technical capacity potential
for renewable energy and 6% of the total generation, varying by resource.
Solar photovoltaics (both urban and rural), concentrated solar power, and
wind have the largest technical potential of the renewable energy resources
on tribal lands.
Key Strategies:
Barriers to Sustainable
Practices?
The federal government, through the
Department of Energy (DoE), supports
energy efficiency in buildings through
the development of model codes and
standards for adoption by states. The
legislation authorizing this program
(42 U.S.C. § 6833) does not mention
tribal governments. The development
of the model energy code for
residential buildings is conducted by
the International Code Council (ICC),
which updates its model code every
three years. Federal law (42 U.S.C.
§ 12709) requires that most new
federally-assisted public housing, and
new homes with federally insured
mortgages, meet or exceed the
standards in the 2006 edition of the
ICC energy code. This requirement,
however, does not apply to housing
funded through the Native American
Housing Assistance and Self-
Determination Act (NAHASDA).
Energy efficiency investments are
allowable under NAHASDA (25 U.S.C.
§ 4132), but there is a countervailing
regulatory requirement that housing
be of "moderate design" and subject
to a prescribed limit on "total
development cost" (25 C.F.R.
§§ 1000.156,1000.158).
Utilization of on-site renewable energy sources, such as:
o Solar - including systems such as solar electric (photovoltaic) and solar hot water, and passive solar
design systems
o Geothermal
o Wind
o Micro-hydroelectric
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 93
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o Wood-fired heat/power
Tribal lands solar photovoltaic (PV) utility-scale rural generation potential
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U.S. Department of Energy Geospatiai Analysis of Renewable Energy Technical Potential on Tribal Lands: Department of Energy (2013)
Top 25 Tribal Lands by Technical Potential for Rural Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Generation
Rural Utility PV
Rural Utility
Power Potential
PV Potential
Annual
Installed
Rural Utility PV
Generation
Capacity
Available Land
Tribal Land
State
(MWh)
(MW)
(km2)
Navajo
NM, UT, AZ, CO
2,494,474,583
1,087,316
22,652
Hopi
AZ
2,295,637,379
998,053
20.793
Tohono O'odham
AZ
986,595,977
427,892
8,914
Standing Rock
SD, ND
932,953,632
503,395
10.487
Fort Peck
MT
609,883,158
327,966
6,833
Pine Ridge
NE, SD
450,036,180
240,320
5,007
Uintah and Ouray
UT
442,003,250
203,766
4,245
Osage
OK
325,020,763
166,400
3.467
Cheyenne River
SD
323,595,921
172,803
3.600
Wind River
WY
318,333,071
158,647
3,305
Blackfeet
MT
299,959,630
161,304
3,361
Rosebud
NE, SD
284,184,572
151,746
3,161
Lake Traverse (Sisseton)
SD, MN, ND
266,608,010
142,810
2,975
Zuni Pueblo
NM, AZ
196,586,404
85,349
1,778
San Carlos
AZ
187,916,024
81,500
1,698
Crow
WY. MT
183,354,288
98,599
2,054
White Earth
MN
180.721,292
109,009
2,271
Laguna Pueblo
NM
172,651,833
74,984
1,562
Fort Berthold
ND
168,674,984
95,006
1,979
Fort Belknap
MT
168,388,007
90,551
1,886
Jicarilla Apache
NM, CO
150,130,043
65,203
1,358
Hualapai
AZ
134,901,150
58,507
1,219
Leech Lake
MN
129,919,796
78,366
1,633
Gila River
AZ
129,768,914
56,282
1,173
Yankton
NE, SD
121,296,780
64,759
1,349
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 94
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U.S. Department of Energy Geospatiai Analysis of Renewable EnergyTechnical Potential on Tribal Lands: Department of Energy (2013)
Tribal lands wind generation potential
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1-100
100- 1,000
1,000 - 50,000
50,000 - 100,000
>100,000
U.S. Department of Energy Geospatiai Analysis of Renewable EnergyTechnical Potential on Tribal Lands: Department of Energy (2013)
Top 25 Tribal Lands by Technical Potential for Wind Electricity Generation
Wind
Potential
Annual
Generation at
80 m and
GCF>= 30%
Wind Potential
Installed
Wind Available
Capacity at 80 Land at 80 m
m and GCF>= and GCF>=
Tribal Land
State
(MWh)
30% (MW)
30% (km2)
Cheyenne River
SD
188,088,492
57,806
11,561
Standing Rock
SD, ND
149,093.091
45,972
9,194
Fort Peck
MT
126,258.676
41,331
8,266
Pine Ridge
NE, SD
113,398.124
38,028
7,606
Rosebud
NE, SD
87,002,780
25,833
5,167
Blackfeet
MT
69,911,790
24,476
4,895
Lake Traverse (Sisseton)
SD, MN, ND
60,824,322
17,736
3,547
Fort Berthold
ND
51,781,459
16,409
3,282
Osage
OK
43,853,495
16,357
3,271
Crow
WY, MT
43,407,456
16,497
3,299
Fort Belknap
MT
32,739,605
11,725
2,345
Yankton
NE, SD
21,573,834
6,732
1,346
White Earth
MN
19,367,345
7,400
1,480
Crow Creek
SD
17,699,282
5,722
1,144
Lower Brule
SD
14,521,816
4,509
902
Devils Lake Sioux
ND
14,300,155
4,533
907
Omaha
IA, NE
12,508,456
3,919
784
Wind River
WY
12,306,226
4.345
869
Northern Cheyenne
MT
9,371,963
3,522
704
Winnebago
IA, NE
6,601,533
2,094
419
Santee
NE
6,489,284
2,118
424
Mescalero Apache
NM
5,566,143
2,240
448
Fort Hall
ID
5,031,295
2,026
405
Potawatomi Prairie Band
KS
4,562,289
1,548
310
Yakama
WA
3,720,634
1,383
277
U.S. Department of Energy Geospatiai Analysis of Renewable EnergyTechnical Potential on Tribal Lands: Department of Energy (2013)
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 95
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Case Study: Big Sandy Raneheria Band of Western Mono Indians
The Big Sandy Raneheria Band of Western Mono Indians is located roughly two miles east of the town of
Auberry, in Fresno County, California. The Raneheria is situated on a smali vailey floor in a rugged foothiil
portion of the Sierra Nevada National Forest The Raneheria includes about fifty homes and 151 residents.
About 80% the community is low-to-middie income and 30% do not have transportation. Ail water on the
Raneheria is provided by community wells and is treated for uranium contamination.
The tribe had just split the single
department responsible for both housing
and environmental management into two
separate departments and had started to
focus on long-term planning for housing,
community and business development
when EPA offered green building codes
technical assistance.
The Housing Manager, an experienced
contractor, was facilitating a shift from
hiring outside contractors or purchasing
mobile homes, to building homes in-house
using local labor. The Environmental
Programs Manager brought her background
in architecture and knowledge of green
building, energy efficiency and sustainable materials. The tribe recognized that adopting green codes could
help ensure that future development would meet the needs and standards the tribe sought to provide for its
community members.
The tribe was particularly interested in codes that would increase energy efficiency, reduce negative health
impacts from poor indoor air quality, conserve water - a special concern because of uranium contamination
of their wells - including reducing wastewater, reduce and properly dispose of construction waste, and
reduce overall operating and maintenance costs.
The tribe joined the EPA Tribal Green Building Codes Workgroup and EPA's contractors provided information
on the draft Pinoleville Tribal Green Building Code, the CALGreen state code for California, resources about
moisture and mold, alternatives to spray foam insulation, and more.
The tribe liked the layout and structure of the Pinoleville draft code and modified, improved, and made it
their own.
In September 2014, the Tribal Council approved and adopted the long-range plan and green building code.
The approval and whole process was aided by having key managers and the Tribal Council Vice Chairperson on
the team that drafted the code.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 96
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Tribal Involvement: Big Sandy Environmental Programs Office, Big Sandy Rancheria Indian Housing Authority,
Tribal Council Vice Chairperson.
Non-Tribal Involvement: U.S. EPA; Development Center for Appropriate Technology, GreenWeaver Inc.
Code Incentive Examples
General
Targeted - Energy
• Expedited permitting process
• Expedited easement approval process
• Permit fee waivers or reductions
• Reduced inspections
• Incentives to build smaller
• Incentives to use less energy per square foot
• Incentives to construct buildings that are more energy
efficient than the minimum requirements of the
jurisdiction
• Incentives for renewable energy: solar, wind, geothermal,
low-impact hydro or bio-gas projects
Questions to Assess Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Strategies
6.1. Passive Solar Design
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or policies address solar siting
Green
Green
and orientation of buildings for new
construction?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
• Consider passive solar potential in
the siting, orientation, and
relationship between all buildings
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
and facilities.
Red
Red
• If cultural needs require the building
or a feature (such as the entrances)
to face in a certain direction, develop
code accommodations.
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or policies take into account
Green
Green
shading of adjacent buildings to assure
solar access for new construction?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
• Regulate the siting and height of
new construction to prevent
obstruction of solar access for
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
existing buildings or planned
Red
Red
building sites.
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Section 6.1 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
6.2. Optimized Energy Performance
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or policies require analysis of
Green
Green
potential passive solar design
contributions to minimize heating and
cooling loads?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Require design of new buildings to
include analysis of passive solar
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
design potential.
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or policies allow for optimal
Green
Green
sizing of HVAC equipment, including the
potential for downsizing or eliminating
systems based on the contribution from
passive solar design?
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Allow residential projects that can
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
demonstrate that a design is capable
Red
Red
of maintaining safe and minimal
levels of temperature and ventilation
through passive means to eliminate
or downsize mechanical HVAC
systems.
• Allow these projects to use high-
efficiency (EPA certified) wood
stoves, cooling towers, and other
traditional or alternative systems as
back-up systems to conventional
mechanical systems.
• ENERGY STAR Home Heating and
Cooling Guidance
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do ordinances require commercial
Green
Green
building energy-related systems to be
installed, calibrated, and perform
according to the most up-to-date model
code or standard? Additional
considerations include:
• Are there incentives to build smaller
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
or use less energy per square foot?
Red
Red
• Are there incentives to construct
buildings that are more energy
efficient than the minimum
requirements of the jurisdiction?
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Commercial building requirements
• Enhanced energy provisions of the
International green Construction
Code (IgCC) or ASHRAE 189.1
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are checklists, certification, field testing,
Green
Green
and, or verification required to ensure
energy performance standards are met?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
• ENERGYSTAR:
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
o Homes Certification
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
code/ordinance
o Qualified Homes Program
Checklist
Red
Red
o Energy Design Guidance
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
Checklist
typically approved
o Target Finder in Commercial
~ Expressly prohibited
Buildings
• DOE Zero Energy Ready Home
National Program
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Third-party building inspection or
commissioning of equipment,
insulation, ductwork, etc., prior to
completion.
• Diagnostic testing to assure proper
installation and verification by a
certified Home Energy Rating System
rater
• Verification of energy performance
for change of occupant and re-sale
through audits and utility data
disclosure.
Do codes or ordinances provide for
Green
Green
ongoing accountability of building energy
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
consumption?
Incentivized
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
• Ordinances requiring measurement
devices with ability to provide daily
energy data
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Ordinances providing for sub-
Red
Red
metering of large or significant loads
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
in commercial buildings
typically approved
• Ordinances providing for sub-
~ Expressly prohibited
metering of individual apartments in
multi-family buildings and of
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
individual tenants in commercial
buildings
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are there requirements in place (e.g.,
Green
Green
maximum allowed lumens per square
foot for each lighting zone) for outdoor
lighting as it pertains to: buildings and
structures; recreational areas; parking lot
and street lighting; landscape lighting;
billboards and other signage?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Red
Red
• Dark skies or night skies ordinances
• Adoption of the latest energy codes
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are high efficiency appliances
Green
Green
encouraged or required?
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• ENERGY STAR appliances
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
(refrigerators, freezers, air purifiers,
clothes washers, dehumidifiers,
dishwashers)
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Efficient heating element
Red
Red
specifications
• WaterSense labeled plumbing
fixtures (toilets, faucets,
showerheads, urinals)
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are solar water heating systems allowed
Green
Green
or encouraged by code?
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Permit fee waiver
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
• Priority permit processing
• Solar easements
• Solar requirements or ordinance
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Solar-ready construction
Red
Red
requirement
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are hot water systems required to be
Green
Green
efficient?
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• WaterSense New Home
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Specifications
• Hot water piping insulation
• Hot water recirculating pumps
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Minimizing hot water plumbing
Red
Red
distances and store no more than .5
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
gallons of water between the source
and furthest fixture.
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
• Use of on-demand water heaters
• Maximum service pressure of 60 PSI
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Section 6.2 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
6.3. Renewable Energy - Generation, Storage, and Distribution
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Is renewable energy use promoted?
Green
Green
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Renewable energy requirements or
incentives
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
• ENERGY STAR Renewable Energy
Ready Homes Specifications
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Green Power programs
• Solar-ready construction
Red
Red
requirement
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are renewable energy technologies
Green
Green
allowable under existing local
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
ordinances? Examples include:
Incentivized
code/ordinance
• Tree ordinances that limit solar;
Yellow
Yellow
• Structural height limitations that
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
impact solar;
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
code/ordinance
• Prohibitions on the use of
allowed
groundwater in geothermal projects;
Red
Red
• Structural restrictions for small and
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
large scale wind generation
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Incentives for renewable solar, wind,
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
geothermal, low-impact hydro or
bio-gas projects
Are there allowances for using
Green
Green
renewable energy technologies at
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
registered historic properties or
Incentivized
code/ordinance
resources?
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
• Historic preservation ordinance
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
code/ordinance
• Sustainable design of historic
buildings policy
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Is net-metering encouraged by codes or
Green
Green
ordinances?
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Net-metering policy or ordinance
Incentivized
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
code/ordinance
allowed
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
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Section 6.3 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
Combine your totals for all subsections and Tribal Priority Totals from Appendix B:
Section 6 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
Resources: Passive Solar, Energy Efficiency, and Renewable Energy
NOTE: The Standards of Ethical Conduct do not permit the U.S. EPA to endorse any private sector website, product, or
service. The U.S. EPA does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find on these websites.
Passive Solar Design Information
• National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Whole Building Design Guide: Passive Solar Heating - This website is a
technical resource for all aspects of design and construction and includes a comprehensive section on passive solar
design, https://www.wbdg.org/resources/passive-solar-heating
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Our Home: Buildings of the Land - Energy Efficiency
Design Guide for Indian Housing - This guide provides useful information on energy efficient building and
development on tribal lands, including passive orientation and design of houses and developments.
https://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/old/21217.pdf
• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy.gov: Passive Solar Home Design - Introduction and guidance for passive
design strategies and additional resources, https://www.energv.gov/energvsaver/passive-solar-homes
Energy Efficient Products
• ENERGY STAR Certified Products for Homes - A joint program of the EPA and the DOE with energy efficient product
listings for windows, doors, skylights, roof products, seals, insulation, appliances (air purifiers, clothes washers,
dehumidifiers, dishwashers, refrigerators and freezers), electronics and battery chargers.
https://www.energystar.gov/products
• ENERGY STAR Advanced Lighting Package for New Homes - Designation for homes with a minimum of 60% ENERGY
STAR qualified hard-wired fixtures and 100% ENERGY STAR qualified ceiling fans where installed.
https://www.energystar.gov/newhomes/explore features benefits/lighting appliances
• ENERGY STAR Heating and Cooling - Guidance and checklists on maintaining efficient operation of residential heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning systems, https://www.energystar.gov/saveathome/heating cooling
ENERGY STAR Homes
• ENERGY STAR Certified Homes - Homes are designed and built to standards delivering energy efficiency savings of up
to 30% compared to typical new homes. A new home earning the ENERGY STAR label has undergone a process of
inspections, testing, and verification to meet requirements set by EPA. https://www.energystar.gov/newhomes
• ENERGY STAR Homes Builder Information - https://www.energystar.gov/partner resources/residential new
• ENERGY STAR Affordable Housing - Affordable housing solutions for reducing energy costs and saving money by
making homes more affordable, sustainable, and livable for lower-income families.
https://www.energvstar.gov/partner resources/residential new/related programs/housing agencies/affordable housing
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General Energy Code Information
• DOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) Building Energy Code Program (BECP) - Works with other
government agencies, state and local jurisdictions, national code organizations, and industry to promote stronger
building energy codes. Provides resources on national model energy codes, https://www.energycodes.gov/
• DOE EERE - Technical Assistance to States - Specialized technical assistance to the states in the form of economic
analysis, code comparisons, webcast training, and compliance material development requested by states to help them
adopt, upgrade, implement, and enforce their building energy codes.
https://www.energycodes.gov/technical-assistance
• DOE Zero Energy Ready Home National Program - Program requirements and verification information for single and
multi-family homes with 3 stories or fewer, https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/zero-energy-ready-home-program
• Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP) - Delivers state-based code advocacy on behalf of the DOE's BECP; serves as
clearinghouse on energy code information; develops resources to support code compliance; and provides energy code
trainings and workshops, https://bcapcodes.org/
• BCAP's Online Code Environment & Advocacy Network (OCEAN) - An interactive, web-based resource designed to
share lessons learned, best practices, educational resources and key facts as they relate to building energy code
adoption and implementation, https://bcapcodes.org/tools/
• Best Practices for State Building Energy Code Policy: Improving Energy Efficiency through Building Energy Codes
Policy-Top five best practice policy measures governments can use to incorporate and enhance current model energy
codes into local laws, https://www.energycodes.gov/whv-building-energy-codes
• Massachusetts Optional Stretch Energy Code - Appendix to the state building code IECC 2009 Codes with Appendix.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/building-energy-code
• Boulder, CO, HERS Rating Home Code -
o Requires that a bigger home will need a better score - https://bouldercolorado.gov/smartregs-performance-
pathway
o Boulder adopts 2018 IECC for residential and community building efficiency = HERS Index of 100 -
https://bouldercolorado.gov/services/energy-conservation-code
o HERS certificate required for Certificate of Occupancy - https://bouldercolorado.gov/steps-smartregs-compliance
o Adopt energy policies in Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy - https://www.dsireusa.org/
o Federal Incentives/Policies for Renewables and Efficiency - https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/renewable-
sources/incentives.php
• Washington, D.C. Building Code of 2017 - Adopts Energy Efficient Codes Coalition 30 percent Solution; performance
path of 30 percent solution begins on p. 382.
https://dob.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dob/publication/attachments/2017%20District%20of%20Columbia%20
Building%20Code Part%201.pdf
Energy Efficiency Incentive Information
• Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Incentives: A Summary of Federal Programs - An overview of federal
programs by the Congressional Budget Office published October 2013. https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R40913.pdf
• Database of State Incentives for Renewables and efficiency (DSIRE) - Source of information on state, local, utility, and
federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy, and energy efficiency, https://www.dsireusa.org/
• International Dark-Sky Association - Information on preserving the nighttime environment through quality outdoor
lighting, https://darksky.org/
• Outdoor Lighting Code Handbook - Discusses issues relative to outdoor lighting codes, their effectiveness,
implementation, and enforcement. "Pattern code" included, to be modified for each community's needs.
https://www.darkskysociety.org/handouts/idacodehandbook.pdf
• Simple Guidelines for Lighting Regulations - For small communities, urban neighborhoods, and subdivisions.
https://darksky.org/resources/guides-and-how-tos/lighting-principles/
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• Light Levels SmartCode Module - Supplements the Center for Applied Transect Studies SmartCode.
https://transect.org/docs/LightLevels.pdf
• Illuminating Engineering Society - Provides information on all aspects of good lighting practice to its members, to the
lighting community, and to consumers, through a variety of programs, publications, and services, https://www.ies.org/
Tribal Renewable Energy Information
• DOE Geospatial Analysis of Renewable Energy Technical Potential on Tribal Lands - Provides maps, analysis and
potential renewable energy generation on tribal lands and lists top tribal renewable energy opportunities.
https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fyl3osti/56641.pdf
Wind Energy Information
• American Clean Power Association (ACP) (formerly AWEA, the American Wind Energy Association) - ACP promotes
wind energy and other clean sources of electricity for consumers around the world, https://cleanpower.org/
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Grid Systems Integration - NREL provides studies and resources for the
integration of wind power into traditional utility systems as well as state wind resource maps for the assessment of
local wind, https://www.nrel.gov/wind/grid-systems-integration.html
• Eagle County, CO, Performance-Based Permitting System - Awards points for producing wind energy.
https://www.eaglecounty.us/
• Nevada, IA Zoning Regulations - "Allow small Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECS) by right in the industrial
districts and by special use permit in all other districts, subject to performance standards. WECS are exempt from the
general height restricts of the zone districts, but height is limited through a use standard."
https://cityofnevadaiowa.org/departments/planning-and-zoning/
Solar Energy Information
• ENERGY STAR Renewable Energy Ready Homes Specifications - Helps homebuilders assess and equip new homes
with features that make it easier and less expensive to install solar systems after the home is built.
https://www.energystar.gov/partner resources/residential new/related programs/rerh
• American Solar Energy Society - The American Solar Energy Society is the nation's leading association of solar
professionals and advocates, https://ases.org/
• Department of Energy Building America Best Practices for High-Performance Technologies: Solar Thermal and
Photovoltaic (PV) Systems - Provides an alternative to traditional panels in areas where aesthetics are of significant
concern (e.g. historic districts), https://www.osti.gov/biblio/968958
• Gresham, OR, Development Code, Solar Access Standard - See Appendix 8: Solar Access; also A8.02 for Exceptions to
Setback Requirements for Solar Energy Collecting Structures.
https://greshamoregon.gov/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=7880
• City of Berkeley, CA Title 23 (Zoning Ordinance) Section 23D.04. - Lot and development standards including solar
energy equipment standards.
https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Final%202021%20ZO%20%28pre%20BZO%29.pdf
• Pullman, WA, Development Code, Planned Residential Development Section 17.107 - Incentives for solar access.
https://www.law.du.edu/documents/rmlui/sustainable-development/SolarAccess.pdf
• Teton County, WY, Solar Access Regulations - Registration of the right to solar access as a property right.
https://www.tetoncountywy.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3358/Solar-Access-Regulations-Resolution-PDF
• DSIRE Solar: Electric and Thermal - A source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives and policies
that promote the adoption of solar technologies, https://www.dsireusa.org/resources/
• Inspector Guidelines for PV Systems - These guidelines provide a framework for the permitting and inspection of PV
systems, https://www.irecusa.org/resources/plan-review-and-inspection-guidelines-model-inspection-checklist-for-
residential-rooftop-pv/
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Geothermal and Tidal Energy Information
• DOE Geothermal Technologies Office - Information and resources on geothermal energy and geothermal energy
technologies, https://www.energy.gov/eere/geothermal/geothermal-technologies-office
• GeoExchange Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium - Partnership between the DOE, EPA, the nation's electric utilities,
and the GeoExchange heat pump industry. Find a geothermal manufacturer/contractor by state or province.
https://www.geoexchange.org/
• DOE Water Power Technologies Office - researches, tests, evaluates, and develops innovative technologies capable of
generating renewable, environmentally responsible, and cost-effective electricity from water resources. This includes
hydropower as well as marine and hydrokinetic energy technologies.
https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/water-power-technologies-office
Energy Rating Information
• ENERGY STAR- Includes a variety of proven energy-efficient features that contribute to improved building quality and
tenant comfort, and lower energy demand and reduces air pollution.
https://www.energystar.gov/saveathome/heating cooling
• Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) - Information on energy audits and rating processes, and also includes
a directory to certified energy auditors and raters and qualified contractors and builders, https://www.resnet.us/
• Home Energy Rating System (HERS) - Based on the home's construction plans and on-site inspections, the Home
Energy Rater uses an energy efficiency software package to perform an energy analysis of the home's design. This
analysis yields a projected, pre-construction HERS Index, https://www.hersindex.com/benefits/
Energy Consumption Monitoring Information
• Berkeley, CA, Residential Energy Conservation Ordinance - First city in the nation to require efficiency upgrades for
residential buildings at the point of sale. Before the transfer of title can occur, the seller must have an energy
inspection to verify performance, https://berkeleyca.gov/construction-development/green-building/building-
emissions-saving-ordinance-beso
• District of Columbia Bill 17-0492 The Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008-Washington, D.C. law requiring
ENERGY STAR benchmarking of all government buildings, https://doee.dc.gov/publication/clean-and-affordable-
energy-act-2008
Other Energy Information
• EPA Resources for Incorporating Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy in State and Tribal Implementation Plans -
Good resources and references and a Roadmap for planning, https://www.epa.gov/energy-efficiency-and-renewable-
energy-sips-and-tips
• DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) - EERE programs on building technologies, federal energy
management, geothermal technologies, hydrogen, fuel cells, biomass, infrastructure technologies, industrial
technologies, solar energy technologies, wind and hydropower technologies, and weatherization.
https://www.energy.gov/eere/office-energv-efficiency-renewable-energv
• American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) - ASHRAE advances heat,
ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.
https://www.ashrae.org/
• American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy - A non-profit dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means
of promoting economic prosperity, energy security, and environmental protection, https://www.aceee.org/
• Alliance to Save Energy-The Alliance to Save Energy is a non-profit coalition of business, government, environmental,
and consumer leaders, https://www.ase.org/
• American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy - Nonprofit that does technical and policy analysis, works with
companies and organizations, advises policymakers and managers, and promotes energy efficiency education.
Publications for purchase, https://www.aceee.org/
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• American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) - An organization of member companies and institutions that are
dedicated to moving renewable energy into the mainstream of America's economy, https://acore.org/
• DOE EERE Building Technologies Program - Partners with the private sector, state and local governments, national
laboratories, and universities to improve efficiency of building and the equipment, components, and systems within
them. The program supports research and development activities and provides tools, guidelines, training, and access to
technical and financial resources, https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-technologies-office
• Bonneville Power Administration Weatherization Specifications - best practices apply to existing residential
(retrofit) weatherization for electrically heated single family and manufactured homes.
https://www.bpa.gov/energy-and-services/efficiency/residential/weatherization
On-Site Generation and Interconnection to the Utility Grid
• DOE Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Interconnection and Permitting Guide - The Interconnection and
Permitting Guide is designed to assist Federal energy managers in navigating through the interconnection and
permitting information available on the Internet.
https://www.wbdg.org/FFC/DOE/DOECRIT/re construction guide.pdf
• The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) - Has issued standard procedures and a standard interconnection
agreement for the interconnection of generators to the power grid. The rules differ depending on whether the
generator is larger or smaller than 20 megawatts.
https://www.ferc.gov/electric-transmission/generator-interconnection
• Standards Board of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) Standard 1547 - Standard for
Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems, https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/1547/5915/
• The DSIRE Database - Lists state interconnection rules, https://www.dsireusa.org/
California Rule 21 - Standards for interconnection of distributed energy resources. https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Rule21/
Offsite Renewable Energy - Green Power Information
EPA Green Power Partnership - Voluntary program supporting the organizational procurement of green power by offering
expert advice, technical support, tools, and resources, https://www.epa.gov/greenpower
DOE: The Green Power Network - Information network on the green power market including green power providers,
product offerings, consumer protection issues, policies affecting green power markets, as well as a reference library.
https://www.energy.gov/clean-energy
Green Power Locators by State -
EPA: https://www.epa.gov/green-power-markets/green-power-supply-options
Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy: https://www.energy.gov/eere/states-and-local-communities
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 108
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Duck Valley Tribe, Nevada
SECTION 7: ASSESSMENT - WATER ACCESS,
MANAGEMENT, AND SANITATION
Access to safe and reliable water is a challenge for communities all over the world, including tribal communities in
many parts of the U.S. Water conservation is an important aspect of water access and water management. With
drought and climate shifts already occurring, some regions will continue to see declines in water supply. Creating
safe and effective sanitation and wastewater systems also poses challenges. The main components of this section
relate to the management of water resources, water access, water conservation, sanitation, and wastewater
treatment.
Where there are pollution or contamination issues (e.g., radon, uranium, heavy metals or other toxic chemicals),
harvested rainwater can be used as a cleaner, safer source than conventional sources. Rainwater can also help
alleviate soil salinization issues in gardens and agricultural areas.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 109
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Key Questions:
Is water availability and/or accessibility an issue for your tribe?
Do building and land use codes encourage water conservation and reuse?
Are there protections from pollution and contamination and strategies to ensure water quality?
Key Terms:
Greywater: Wastewater generated by sinks, showers, bathtubs, and laundry, which can be recycled on-site
for uses like toilet flushing and landscape irrigation.
Permaculture: A branch of ecological design and construction that develops sustainable architecture,
regenerative and self-maintained habitat and agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems.
Xeriscaping: Landscaping approaches that eliminate or reduce the need for supplemental water from
sprinkler systems or irrigation.
7.1. Safe Water Access: Building Water Sources
Water sources for buildings can vary from private wells, surface water, rainwater and reused water. Identifying a
safe and reliable water source is a key component of any building project.
Key Strategies:
Regular testing for radon and other contaminants in building water sources
Purification as needed for potable water uses (filtration, ultra-violet, chlorination, or other purification
methods)
Discharge quality requirements
7.2. Conservation of Existing Water Supplies
Water metering is critical to track water conservation and detect leaks. Passive water systems (gravity-driven) can
be used for storing and circulating water. They require little or no maintenance and may be less expensive to install
than active systems. Active water systems are a common element in most new development. They use one or more
pumps to circulate water and require maintenance.
Key Strategies:
On-site water metering and sub-metering of buildings
Installation or creation of land contours, gutters and drains, and basins or retention areas (especially for
passive systems)
Locating development close to water sources
Promoting natural water filtration through strategic plantings
Installation of WaterSense/water-conserving appliances:
o Faucets and showerheads with flow restrictors
o Low-flow or dual-flush toilets
o Efficient washing machines and dishwashers
o High-efficiency cooling systems
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 110
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Barriers to Sustainable Practices
Utilizing dual-plumbed systems and other greywater plumbing
and usage strategies
Locating containment tanks adjacent to structures, and inclusion
of vents and overflows in tanks
7.3. Rain Harvesting and Innovative Sanitation
and Wastewater Treatment Systems
Rainwater harvesting and storage can supply some or ail of a building's
water needs. Innovative sanitation and wastewater treatment and reuse
systems (e.g., use of greywater, reclaimed water, or on-site wastewater
treatment) can diminish the needs.
Key Strategies:
Installation of rainwater collection and storage system (tailored
to the climate and demand)
Use of composting or urine-diverting dehydrating toilets (UDDTs)
Wastewater treatment systems and use planning
Greywater-ready piping
Examples of barriers to sustainable
practices as well as regulations that
institute unsustainable practices can be
found in many codes. For example, "... in
most places ail water entering a building
is required to be potable water (drinking
water quality) regardless of its intended
use, and once used must be treated as
biackwater (raw sewage) regardless of
the use. If there is an available sewer
system, typically there is a legal
requirement to connect to it, and if not, a
requirement to install a water-based
septic system. In most jurisdictions, toilet
flushing using rainwater or greywater is
prohibited. The result is that in most
places there is a legal requirement to
intentionally pollute drinking water with
human excrement."
Source: Eisenberg, David and Pearsom, Sonja,
Living Building Challenge: Code, Regulatory
and Systemic Barriers Affecting Living Building
Projects, 2009
A rain barrel used to collect rooftop runoff using a gutter downspout system.
7.4. Water-Efficient Landscaping and Landscape Irrigation
Water-efficient landscaping offers many economic and environmental benefits that can include lower water bills,
decreased energy use, reduced water irrigation, reduced landscaping and labor maintenance, and conservation of
natural resources.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 111
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Key Strategies:
Street and stormwater harvesting
Appropriate siting of food and landscaping plants
Lawn conversion to xeriscape
Native and drought tolerant plants
Gravity-fed watering systems
PPN arid CARES Building Design Charrette - 2008 PPN Straw Bale Construction Workshop - 2012
Photo Source: Pinoleville Pomo Nation, 2009 Photo: Pinoleville Porno Nation
To complete the homes, the PPN invited tribal builders from several nearby communities to join in the hands-
on training and construction process. These highly efficient homes feature straw bale walls, earthen plasters,
Case Study: Pinoleville Pomo Nation: Water Conservation and
Community Visioning
The Pinoleville Pomo Nation (PPN), located in Northern
California, developed a performance-based tribal green
building code through a community-based planning and
building process. The PPN also worked with green building
codes experts, engineering students from the Community
Assessment of Renewable Energy and Sustainability (CARES)
Program at the University of California, Berkeley and the U.S.
EPA to develop a codes framework that would assert cultural
sovereignty, address tribal priorities, and build capacity.
In addition to developing building codes, the PPN collaborated with CARES to design and build two prototype
homes. These homes were built to the PPN building code and incorporated "remembering" and Pomo
architecture in their design.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 112
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no-to-low volatile organic compound paints and stains, ground-source heat pumps, greywater irrigation, and
rain-catchment.
The development, protection, and conservation of water resources are a priority for the PPN and their
building code supports this priority by requiring contractors and/or designers to submit performance
submittals for performance requirements such as:
• Capacity to harvest and utilize rainwater
• Capacity to recycle gray water
• Water metering capabilities
• Proposed allocation of water for food, medicine, and fiber production on-site, either inside or
outside of the proposed building.
• All washing machines shall have graywater plumbing
Rainwater catchment and greywater systems are particularly important in this region because they reduce
vulnerability to water shortages and support on-site gardens and landscaping.
Pinoleville Draft Green Building Code: http://www.epa.gov/region9/greenbuilding/codes/pdfs/pinoleville-
green-building-code-draft.pdf
Tribal Involvement: Pinoleville Pomo Nation Environmental Department; Pinoleville Pomo Nation Housing
Authority; construction workers for the tribe and nearby tribes; community members, including elders and
high school students.
Non-Tribal Involvement: Community Assessment of Renewable Energy & Sustainability (CARES) and the
Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Architecture at the University of California Berkeley; U.S. EPA
Region 9; Development Center for Appropriate Technology; GreenWeaver Inc.; Laco Associates and Vital
Systems.
Code Incentive Examples
General
Targeted - Water
• Expedited permitting process
• Expedited easement approval process
• Permit fee waivers or reductions
• Reduced inspections
• Incentives, such as rebate programs or tax forgiveness for water conserving
appliances and fixtures
• Incentives for rainwater collection systems
• Lawn removal incentive program
• Post-construction Stormwater Credits - reduced stormwater fees for
property owners who reduce stormwater runoff or improve the quality of
their stormwater runoff
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Questions to Assess Water Access and Management
7.1. Water Access: Building Water Sources
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Does the tribe have water access and use
Green
Green
rights to support infrastructure and
building project developments?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Tribal water rights
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Ground and surface water use
Red
Red
agreements
• Rainwater harvesting ordinances
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do policies or ordinances include water
Green
Green
source protection requirements or
standards?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Source water protection ordinances
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Setback requirements
Red
Red
• Zoning approaches
• Protection practices (e.g., double
wall underground storage tanks)
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Is there a policy or requirement for
Green
Green
testing source water for radon, uranium,
or other known regional sources of water
contamination for new or existing water
sources?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Red
Red
• Building permit requirement for
water testing
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or ordinances require
Green
Green
identifying and addressing potential
contamination of water sources from
failing septic systems, abandoned and
uncapped water wells, underground
storage tanks, mine tailings, or oil and
gas wells?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Red
Red
• Building permit requirement for
water testing
• Source water protection ordinances
• Setback requirements
• Zoning approaches
• Protection practices (e.g., double
wall underground storage tanks)
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Section 7.1 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
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7.2. Conservation of Existing Water Supplies
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes, standards, ordinances,
Green
Green
guidelines, or policies require or support
site-based metering and responsible
water management?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Water metering requirement for all
construction to support conservation
and leak detection
• Water management policies
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do provisions require or encourage
Green
Green
metering of individual units in multi-
family housing to reduce water
consumption?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Revising code for multi-family
buildings
• Water metering information
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Is the reuse of air conditioning
Green
Green
condensate water encouraged to reduce
unnecessary use of potable water?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Air conditioning condensate water
reuse
• Upgrade plumbing code
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 116
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or policies support the use of
Green
Green
high efficiency and innovative plumbing
fixtures and fittings to reduce water
consumption?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Requirement for WaterSense homes
• Incentives, such as rebate programs
or tax forgiveness
• Plumbing code for WaterSense/high
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
efficiency fixtures
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Composting toilet information
• Urine Diverting Dehydrating Toilet
Information
Are dual plumbed systems for use of
Green
Green
reclaimed water or other non-potable
sources for toilet flush water or outside
irrigation allowed by codes or
ordinances?
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Revising code for grey water of dual
plumbing systems
• Guidance and signage for safe use of
reclaimed water
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do codes or ordinances allow greywater
Green
Green
use for landscape irrigation?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Revising code for greywater use
• Greywater codes, ordinances
• Guidance and outreach on safe
greywater use
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 117
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are there existing or planned codes or
Green
Green
policies to manage site erosion and
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
sedimentation during construction?
Incentivized
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
• Stockpile and protect disturbed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
code/ordinance
topsoilfrom erosion (for reuse).
allowed
• Control the path and velocity of
Red
Red
runoff with silt fencing or
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
comparable measures.
typically approved
• Protect on-site storm sewer inlets,
~ Expressly prohibited
streams and lakes with straw bales,
silt fencing, silt sacks, rock filters or
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
comparable measures.
• Provide swales to divert surface
water from hillsides.
• If soil in a sloped area (i.e., 4:1 slope)
is disturbed during construction, use
tiers, erosion blankets, compost
blankets, filter socks and berms, or
some comparable approach to keep
soil stabilized.
Section 7.2 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
7.3. Rainwater Harvesting and Innovative Wastewater Treatment Systems
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are natural wastewater treatment
Green
Green
systems, like constructed wetlands or
other innovative infiltration systems,
encouraged by codes or ordinances?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Constructed wetlands information
• Innovative wastewater reuse
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 118
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are on-site wastewater treatment
Green
Green
systems encouraged by codes or
ordinances to capture or reuse reclaimed
wastewater?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Reclaimed wastewater plan
requirements
• Reclaimed wastewater
ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Is collected rainwater allowed for indoor
Green
Green
use, such as toilet flushing to reduce
unnecessary use of potable water?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Rainwater harvesting ordinances
• Rainwater harvesting plan
requirements
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do codes or ordinances allow the on-site
Green
Green
filtration of rainwater for potable use?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Revising code for residential potable
water treatment system
requirements
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 119
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Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Are there existing or planned codes,
Green
Green
standards, ordinances, guidelines or
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
policies that address stormwater runoff
Incentivized
code/ordinance
and utilization?
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
code/ordinance
• Rainwater harvesting model
allowed
ordinances and plan requirements
Red
Red
• Control or capture runoff from
building roofs, pavement, and other
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
hardscape surfaces using cisterns,
~ Expressly prohibited
swales, or site retention
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do adopted or planned codes, standards
Green
Green
or policies support alternatives to
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
potable water use for outside irrigation?
Incentivized
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
• Rainwater harvesting ordinances,
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
code/ordinance
codes or guidelines
allowed
• Grey water ordinances, codes or
Red
Red
guidelines
• Reclaimed wastewater information
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Upgraded/green plumbing code
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do codes or ordinances encourage water
Green
Green
catchment, and can tanks or cisterns be
Required by code/ordinance
Will be required or incentivized by
stored near structures?
Incentivized
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
• Revising code for on-site retention of
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
code/ordinance
rainwater
allowed
• Guidance for siting of tank systems,
Red
Red
cisterns, below grade and surface
retention of rainwater
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Guidance for safe use and
~ Expressly prohibited
construction of water catchments
systems
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Section 7.3 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
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7.4. Water-Efficient Landscaping and Landscape Irrigation
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Is there a requirement for using plants
Green
Green
that will reduce the use of water for
landscape maintenance?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Grouping plants according to their
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
water needs, or using native and
low-water-use or drought-resistant
plants
• Xeriscaping ordinances that, when
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
possible, include tribal or state-
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
adopted plant species list
• Lawn removal incentive programs
Is the use of high efficiency irrigation
Green
Green
systems (such as moisture sensors, drip
vs. spray) encouraged?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• WaterSense labeled irrigation
products
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Section 7.4 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
Combine your totals for all subsections and Tribal Priority Totals from Appendix B:
Section 7 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
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Resources Water Access and Management Codes
NOTE: The Standards of Ethical Conduct do not permit the U.S. EPA to endorse any private sector website, product, or
service. The U.S. EPA does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find on these websites.
Water Efficiency Information
• WaterSense - An EPA-sponsored partnership program, including WaterSense labeled products, specification for new
homes and Best Management Practices that protects the nation's water supply by promoting water efficiency and
enhancing the market for water-efficient products, programs, and practices, https://www.epa.gov/watersense
• Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) - Water efficiency resources and a template of suggested maximum water use
thresholds and the standards (such as ASTM, WaterSense). https://www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/
• EPA Protecting Water Resources with Smart Growth - Offers ideas on how techniques for smarter growth can be used
to protect their water resources. Section I focuses on techniques at the regional level and Section II on site level
techniques for developing water resources.
https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/protecting-water-resources-smart-growth
• EPA Growing Toward More Efficient Water Use: Linking Development, Infrastructure, and Drinking Water Policies -
Three sections detail: land use decisions and water systems, smart growth can help communities reduce costs and
conserve water, and policy options to better manage water demand.
https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/growing-toward-more-efficient-water-use
Source Water Protection Information
• EPA Guide on Source Water Protection Ordinances - Includes model language, examples, and supporting
documentation, https://www.epa.gov/nps/urban-runoff-model-ordinances-source-water-protection
• EPA Guide on Local Planning and Regulatory Approaches to Source Water Protection - Identifies ways that local
entities can plan for and implement source water protection. Contains links to technical guidance, funding, best
management practice tools and resources.
https://www.epa.gov/sourcewaterprotection/source-water-protection-practices
• EPA Guide on Source Water Protection Practices - Includes topics on managing underground storage tanks,
o https://www.epa.gov/sourcewaterprotection
o https://www.epa.gov/sourcewaterprotection/resources-source-water-protection-planning
o https://www.epa.gov/sourcewaterprotection/source-water-protection-planning
o https://www.epa.gov/dwsrf/protecting-source-water-dwsrf-set-asides
Rainwater Harvest/Reuse Information
• EPA's Rainwater Harvesting Handbook - Managing wet weather with green infrastructure.
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-ll/documents/rainharvesting.pdf
• Tucson and Southern Arizona Water Harvesting Resources - Rainwater Harvesting and Greywater Reuse Resources.
https://watershedmg.org/sites/default/files/documents/tucson-water-rainwater-harvesting-and-graywater-resource-
list-7-2019.pdf
• Tucson, AZ, Rainwater Collection and Distribution Requirements, Ordinance 10597, 2008 - Requires offset of 50
percent for landscape water demand using harvested rainwater.
https://www.tucsonaz.gov/Departments/Transportation-Mobility/Water-Harvesting
• ARCSA- Rainwater Harvesting Resources and Publications, https://www.arcsa.0rg/page/6
• Tucson, AZ Commercial Rainwater Harvesting Ordinance - First city in the U.S. to require rainwater harvesting for 50
percent of landscape water demand.
https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/tucson/latest/tucson az udc/0-0-0-10610
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• EPA's Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure: Municipal Handbook - Sample rainwater harvesting policies
and documents to help local officials implement green infrastructure in their communities.
https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/green-infrastructure-municipal-handbook
Water Reduction Incentive Information
• Green Building Incentives - Offered through the state of Indiana, Duke Energy, South Central Indiana REMC, and the
city of Bloomington. https://bloomington.in.gov/sustainability/bghip
• USGBC - Green building incentive strategies.
https://www.usgbc.org/articles/good-know-green-building-incentive-strategies-0
Composting Toilet Information
• EPA Water Efficiency Technology Fact Sheet - Fact sheet on composting toilets.
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-06/documents/comp.pdf
Urine Diverting Dehydrating Toilet (UDDT) Information
• Stockholm Environment Institute, Ecological Sanitation - Revised edition, 2004 - Provides research on systems that
save water, prevent water pollution and recycle the nutrients in human excreta while to protecting against water-
borne diseases, http://www.ecosanres.org/pdf files/Ecological Sanitation 2004.pdf
• Stockholm Environment Institute, Urine Diversion - One Step Towards Sustainable Sanitation Report, 2006 - Report
presenting research on urine-diverting systems, http://www.ecosanres.org/pdf files/Urine Diversion 2006-1.pdf
• Women in Europe for a Common Future, Developing a Water and Sanitation Safety Plan in a Rural Community-
Resources on developing a water and sanitation safety plan to obtain and maintain safe drinking water and sanitation
systems and to minimize related diseases.
http://www.womenforclimate.org/english/articles/2014/05/WSSP-Compendium.php
Water Metering Information
• EPA Water Efficiency & Conservation - Program guide to water efficiency.
https://www.epa.gov/watersense/using-water-efficiently
• EPA Cases in Water Conservation - How efficiency programs help water utilities save water and avoid costs.
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/ws-cases-in-water-conservation.pdf
• EPA Top Ten Water Management Techniques - Top 10 water management techniques that have proven helpful in
managing water use at facilities throughout the EPA. https://www.epa.gov/watersense/best-management-practices
Greywater Regulation Information
• Arizona GreyWater Law-Three-tiered greywater permitting approach for new construction and remodels with
different requirements based on the amount of water used.
http://oasisdesign.net/greywater/law/improve/lmprovementsToGWIaws.pdf
• Tucson, Arizona, Residential GreyWater Ordinance 10579, 2008 - Requires new single family and duplex residential
units, install segregated drains for greywater and blackwater plumbing fixtures to allow future greywater distribution
systems. https://oasisdesign.net/greywater/law/improve/lmprovementsToGWIaws.pdf
Innovative Wastewater Treatment Information
• Innovative Treatment Technologies for Wastewater and Water Reuse - EPA research to addresses the dynamic
requirements for improved water quality and the growing demands for safe and reliable reclaimed wastewater and
storm water, https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/drinking-water-technologies
• EPA Office of Wastewater Management - Municipal technologies for wastewater and stormwater assistance such as
constructed wetlands and decentralized systems. https://www.epa.gOv/aboutepa/about-office-water#wastewater
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 123
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Water
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 124
Efficient Landscaping Information
Sustainable Sites Initiative: The Case for Sustainable Landscapes - Considered a companion volume to the larger
report The Sustainable Sites Initiative: Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks 2009, cited in Sustainable Sites
category. https://www.coconino.az.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5469/SustainableSiteslnitiativeandGuidelines
EPA GreenScapes - Cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for landscaping; encouraging holistic decisions
regarding waste generation and disposal and the associated impacts on land, water, air, and energy use.
https://www.epa.gov/watersense/landscaping-tips
Bay Friendly Landscaping & Gardening Coalition - San Francisco Bay Area rating system and certified professionals
program that reduces water use by 50% and runoff by 70-80% while creating vibrant landscapes and gardens.
https://www.rescapeca.org/about
Tucson, Arizona, Rainwater Collection and Distribution Requirements, Ordinance 10597, 2008 - Requires offset of
50% for landscape water demand using harvested rainwater.
https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/tucson/latest/tucson az/0-0-0-4299
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Summit: Lake PaiuteTribe, Nevada
SECTION 8: ASSESSMENT - RESILIENCE AND
ADAPTABILITY
To meet climate change and disaster preparedness needs, tribes and communities are looking at their codes and
ordinances to promote public safety and building resiliency. Resilient buildings and communities are those that
reduce vulnerability and are capable of recovering quickly from disasters. By integrating resilience and adaptability
into building codes, tribal officials can improve the durability and flexibility of new and existing construction.
Key Questions (consider which are relevant to your tribe):
Have vulnerability assessments or emergency planning been done?
How does your tribe understand and interpret the concepts of resilience and adaptation?
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 125
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Importance of Resilient Design
How can siting and design be used to reduce vulnerabilities and
increase resilience?
Key Terms:
"...resilient design is a life-safety issue that is
critical for the security and wellbeingof
families in a future of climate uncertainty
and the ever-present risk of terrorism"
- Alex Wilson, founder of BuildingGreen
Source: "Resilient Design: Dramatically Better
Building Envelopes,"
https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/
January 2012.
Adaptability: The ability to change or adjust to different or varying
conditions, such as fluctuating climate conditions.
Bioswale: A vegetated or mulched channel that provides
treatment and retention as they move stormwater from one place
to another. Vegetated swales slow, infiltrate, and filter
stormwater flows.
Passive survivability: A building's ability to maintain habitability
without relying on external utility systems for power, fuel, water,
or sewer services.
Permeable Pavement: Paved surfaces that infiltrate, treat, and/or
store rainwater where it falls. Permeable pavements may be constructed from pervious concrete, porous
asphalt, permeable interlocking pavers, and several other materials.
Resilience: Preventing or protecting against threats and incidents, such as extreme weather events,
infrastructure discontinuity, or man-made disasters.
Vulnerability Assessment: The process of identifying and understanding the vulnerabilities that natural
systems, human systems, buildings, and infrastructure have to various threats (e.g., extreme weather,
wildfires, or seismic events).
8.1. Energy, Heating, and Cooling Resilience
Building and infrastructure design should include planning for energy, heating, cooling and water systems that can
withstand unpredictable climate conditions and other disasters.
Key Strategies:
Passive solar design (e.g., south-facing windows)
High level of insulation and shading
Employ on-site renewable energy sources with backup inverters and batteries
Install redundant systems as backups (e.g., generators)
Move HVAC and electrical equipment above projected flood levels.
Daylighting
8.2 Water System Resilience
Planning for water resilience should include planning for flooding, water conservation and alternative water supply
options.
Key Strategies:
Install bioswales and permeable pavement to reduce flooding
Multiple/large culverts to reduce flooding
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 126
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Building storm doors to resist flooding
Water conserving fixtures and systems
Encourage stormwater management and heat island reduction strategies such as green infrastructure, green
roofs, cool pavements, etc.
Install water reuse and rainwater systems
Hand pumps for water
Vegetated Bioswale
Permeable Pavement
8.3. Disaster Resilience and Adaptability
Some tribal locales are more susceptible to disaster than others, but it is important for all tribes to assess their
vulnerabilities and plan accordingly. By incorporating disaster resilience and adaptability into building and
development, recovery costs after an event are significantly reduced.
Key Strategies:
Assess risk and plan for possible disasters including, but not limited to:
o Earthquakes
o Volcanic activity
o Flooding and high wind events
o Fires
o Electrical and water utility interruptions
o Road/bridge/tunnel closures
Firewise construction practices
o Avoid vented roofing and gutters to reduce fire risk
o Class A roofing
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 127
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8.4. Climate Resilience and Adaptability
As local climates change, tribes may want to plan for how they can incorporate resilience concepts into new and
existing buildings, so that they are better able to handle new pressures that may arise (e.g., increasing extreme
weather events or rising sea levels). Threats will be specific to a tribe's location, so it is important to conduct
vulnerability assessments to identify threats that are most vital for each tribe to plan for.
Key Strategies:
Assess risk and plan for possible climate variability including, but not limited to:
o Extreme weather
o Wildfires
o Relocation pressures (e.g., due to rising sea levels)
o Need for emergency shelters to protect vulnerable populations from extreme weather conditions,
flooding, etc.
Assess local reliance on key climatic patterns (e.g., rain requirements for crop production) and plan for
adaptations if shifts were to occur.
Incorporate evolving, rather than static, predictions of climate-related stresses on structures into building
codes so that codes change automatically when certain levels of impact are reached (e.g., Tie annual rainfall
levels to water conservation and/or greywater infrastructure code requirements).
Climate-resilient construction practices and materials:
o Strengthen buildings against strong winds
o Flood proof ground floors and doors
o Use fire-resistant design and building materials
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 128
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Case Study: Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Keya Wakpala Walgageyapi
Community Development
Case study narrative provided by Rosebud Economic Development Corporation and Blue Star Studio Inc.
Project Vision Statement: "Keya Wakpala Waigageyapi is a safe place for all Lakota people
and their neighbors who seek a unique community encouraging resilience, health, education,
and helpfulness while renewing a culturally meaningful way of life."
Keya Wakpala Waigageyapi ("Turtle Creek Development") is a resilient Lakota community development
project planned on nearly 600 acres of tribal trust lands on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Mission, South
Dakota. The Tribe has a young population, median age of 22 that is growing alongside poverty. The region also
faces severely lacking infrastructure and economic opportunities.
The Sicangu Lakota Oyate ("Burnt Thigh Nation") of the Rosebud Indian Reservation is one of seven tribes of
the Great Sioux Nation. A community built on the social systems and cultural expressions of Wolakota or "all
that is Lakota." This Tribal Nation holds paramount their relationship to the land, its people and the Earth.
The project is led by the Rosebud Economic Development Corporation (REDCO), the tribally chartered arm of
the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Together with a diverse stakeholder group and skilled design and engineering
professionals, REDCO is committed to reinvigorating traditional homeland culture, familial tribal structure,
and Lakota language while nurturing economic development and community health and safety.
This commitment is manifested through the Keya Wakpala Resilient Development Master Plan, which
identifies mixed-use development, including renewable and distributed energy, energy efficient housing,
community support facilities, new businesses, and infrastructure projects.
Indigenous design emerges from community values: its buildings and aligned function, how community
members move within these spaces, what local materials are sourced, and aesthetic considerations are all
unique to a Tribe.
Project participation began with the spiritual and cultural leaders who impart Lakota values and perceptions
leading to the project vision statement. A survey and cognitive mapping exercise captured ideas and attitudes
about the new community and desired elements. The survey started by asking some basic questions,
including:
What is a "resilient green community, capable of self-sufficiency and independence?"
Participation in cultural activities including comprehension of the language and ceremony was also important
to developing mutual understanding and respect.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 129
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Conceptual perspective view of the site looking over the wetlands.
image: Blue Star Studio Inc., Copyrighted 2014
This development project is in Phase Two of a twenty-year pian. Anticipated outcomes include preservation
and promotion of language, self-sufficiency and sustainable growth, community healing through the
strengthening of Lakota values and the implementation of culturally relevant community standards.
The project seeks to generate 200 temporary construction jobs and at least 100 new permanent jobs. A one-
acre community garden is located adjacent to the tribally owned Turtle Creek Crossing supermarket. Near
term projects set to get underway are green community codes and covenants; energy efficient family housing;
renewable energy and green infrastructure expansion; fuel/travel plaza; casino expansion; business
office/retail building; crafts/farmers' market; community gardens; community house; and veterans'
supportive housing.
The project plan will be conducted with the following goals in mind:
• Tie into regional transportation, housing, water, and air quality plans aligned to local comprehensive
land use and capital investment plans.
• Align federal planning and investment resources mirroring local and regional strategies for achieving
sustainable and livable communities.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 130
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• Increase participation and decision-making in developing and implementing a long range vision by
populations traditionally marginalized in public processes.
• Reduce social and economic disparities for the low-income, minority communities, and other
disadvantaged populations.
• Strengthen internal capacity and local tribal social, economic and environmental resilience.
Tribal Involvement: Rosebud Sioux Tribe (RST); Sicangu Wicoti Awayankapi Corporation; Ojinjintka Housing
Development Corporation; Rosebud Agency Bureau of Indian Affairs; Rosebud Indian Health Service; RST
Rural Water Supply System; RST Buffalo Project; Sinte Gleska University; Blue Star Studio Inc.; Sustainable
Nations; Rosebud Economic Development Corporation; Community Members
Non-Tribal Involvement: Minnesota Housing Partnership; Rosebud IHS; South Dakota USDA Rural
Development; South Dakota State University; The Rural Futures Institute of the University of Nebraska,
Lincoln; Wica Agli; Enterprise Community Partners; and the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI).
Design Team: Blue Star Studio Inc.; Sustainable Nations; Chad Renfro Design; Development Center for
Appropriate Technology; Biohabitats Inc.; LeBeau Development LLC; Dream Design International Inc.; PAE
Engineers; Rosebud Economic Development Corporation
Code Incentive Examples
General
Targeted - Resilience and Adaptability
• Expedited permitting process
• Expedited easement approval process
• Permit fee waivers or reductions
• Reduced inspections
• Incentives for green or cool roofs
• Renewable energy incentives
• Incentives for bioswales or permeable pavement
• Earthquake retrofit incentive programs
• Incentives for innovative technologies to address resiliency
• Incentives for retrofits to meet climate adaptation/resiliency goals
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 131
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Questions to Assess Resilience and Adaptability
8.1. Energy and Infrastructure Resilience
Specific Question and Potential Tools
and Techniques
Assessment of Question:
Tribe WITH Building Codes
Assessment of Question:
Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do ordinances or requirements allow for
Green
Green
passive heating and cooling?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Design based on local needs and
materials
• Passive solar heating and cooling
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do ordinances or requirements support
Green
Green
stormwater management and heat
island reduction?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Green infrastructure
• Green roofs or cool (highly reflective)
roofs
• Cool pavements
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do policies or requirements allow or
Green
Green
incentivize on-site renewable energy?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Tribal renewable energy policy or
incentives
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 132
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Specific Question and Potential Tools
and Techniques
Assessment of Question:
Tribe WITH Building Codes
Assessment of Question:
Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do policies or requirements allow
Green
Green
nontraditional options for human waste
management in the event of non-
operating municipal wastewater
systems?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Red
Red
• Emergency Human Waste
Management Plan
• Composting toilets
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do policies or requirements allow
Green
Green
diverse and redundant systems to meet
basic needs such as electricity, fuels,
water, lighting, ventilation and
transportation?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Red
Red
• HVAC and electrical systems above
projected flood levels
• Redundant water systems and water
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
storage for potable uses
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Passive solar design
• Back-up generators
• Daylighting
Section 8.1 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 133
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8.2. Disaster Resilience and Adaptability
Specific Question and Potential Tools
and Techniques
Assessment of Question:
Tribe WITH Building Codes
Assessment of Question:
Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do codes or ordinances include a
Green
Green
requirement for stringent earthquake
engineering for all building types?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Earthquake retrofit incentive
programs
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do policies or requirements consider
Green
Green
designing for access and egress in a
natural disaster or other disaster?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Building code requirements
• Emergency preparedness plans and
policies
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Section 8.2 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 134
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8.3. Climate Resilience and Adaptability
Specific Question and Potential Tools
and Techniques
Assessment of Question:
Tribe WITH Building Codes
Assessment of Question:
Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Is periodic reevaluation of zoning and
Green
Green
building codes or standards with respect
to the latest local and or regional climate
change data required by ordinances or
other policies?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Red
Red
• Mapping of vulnerabilities
• Updated climate data
• Flexible zoning techniques such as
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
Planned Unit Development (PUD)
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do codes or ordinances require
Green
Green
responsiveness to changing climate
conditions based on future predicted
conditions?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Local climate change impact
projections
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do codes or ordinances incentivize or
Green
Green
require that renovations and retrofits of
existing buildings be made in response to
changing climate conditions and risks?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Periodic review and updating of
building codes
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 135
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Specific Question and Potential Tools
and Techniques
Assessment of Question:
Tribe WITH Building Codes
Assessment of Question:
Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do ordinances or codes incentivize or
Green
Green
require the use of evolving or innovative
technologies to address resiliency?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Innovation or pilot allowance code
clauses
• Periodic review and updating of
building codes
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Are current or planned policies or
Green
Green
requirements for building design
responsive to evolving extreme weather
events?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Wind resistant building materials
and techniques
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do current or planned policies or
Green
Green
requirements respond to needs to
handle increased stormwater flows in
building or rebuilding physical
infrastructure?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Red
Red
• Stormwater infrastructure planning
and development
• Bioswales, permeable pavement
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
and/or increased culverts
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 136
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Specific Question and Potential Tools
and Techniques
Assessment of Question:
Tribe WITH Building Codes
Assessment of Question:
Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do current or planned policies or
Green
Green
requirements take advantage of natural,
biological erosion-control solutions?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Utilizing compost and mulch
• Native vegetative cover
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do zoning and siting requirements
Green
Green
include limitations for areas of extreme
wildfire risk and are there design
requirements for fire protection?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Mapping
• Siting requirements
• Design or building materials
requirements
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do zoning and siting ordinances consider
Green
Green
sea level rise and extreme storms
events?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
• Flood proof lower levels
• Raise HVAC and electrical system
above projected flood levels
• Buffer ordinances
• Buffer design requirements
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
• Zoning and Master Plan
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
• Tribal overlay
• Environmental monitoring and
quality requirements
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 137
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Specific Question and Potential Tools
and Techniques
Assessment of Question:
Tribe WITH Building Codes
Assessment of Question:
Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Do current or planned policies or
Green
Green
requirements address the possibility of
temporary shelter or relocation for local
populations due to climate change?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Evacuation plans and emergency site
plans
• Relocation assessments
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Do current or planned policies or
Green
Green
requirements address and allow locally
available, renewable, or reclaimed
resources?
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Yellow
Yellow
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
• Emergency plans
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Section 8.3 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
Combine your totals for all subsections and Tribal Priority Totals from Appendix B:
Section 8 Totals:
Green:
Yellow:
Red:
Not Applicable:
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 138
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Resources: Resilience and Adaptability
NOTE: The Standards of Ethical Conduct do not permit the U.S. EPA to endorse any private sector website, product, or
service. The U.S. EPA does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find on these websites.
See also Land Use, Materials, Energy and Water Resources for adaptable, passive resources.
Passive Survivability
• Environmental Building News - Passive Survivability: A New Design Criterion for Buildings - Information on defining
and achieving passive survivability and the connection to building codes.
https://www.buildinggreen.com/feature/passive-survivabilitv-new-design-criterion-buildings
• Mandate Passive Survivability in Building Codes - Explanation of the rationale for including passive survivability in
building codes, https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2008/05/14/mandate-passive-survivability-in-building-codes
• Passive Survivability - Information on commercial strategies for passive survivability including storm resilience,
cooling-load avoidance, natural ventilation, a highly efficient building envelope, passive solar heating, natural
daylighting, renewable energy and onsite water collection and storage, https://greenmanual.rutgers.edu/
Resilience and Adaptability
• Tribes & Climate Change Website - Information, resources, case studies and an open forum tailored to helping Native
people gain a better understanding of climate change and its impacts on their communities.
https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/tcc/
• EPA Climate Change Adaptation Resource Center (ARC-X) - https://www.epa.gov/arc-x
o Overview - https://www.epa.gov/arc-x/planning-climate-change-adaptation
o Tools for Public Officials - https://www.epa.gov/arc-x/tools-climate-change-adaptation
Promoting Generations of Self-Reliance: Stories and Examples of Tribal Adaptation to Change -
https://gaftp.epa.gov/regionl0/EcoLearn/Promoting%20Generations%20of%20Self-Reliance.pdf
• FEMA Building Codes Toolkit - Guidance and tools on building codes for property owners, engineers and design
professionals, building codes officials and the general public, https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/risk-
management/building-science/publications/building-codes-toolkit-homeowners-occupants
• FEMA - Links to FEMA/private sector partnerships to support disaster preparedness and response in the building
sector, https://www.fema.gov/partnerships
• U.S. Green Building Council and the University of Michigan - Green Building and Climate Resilience: Understanding
Impacts and Preparing for Changing Conditions - Discusses green building options for addressing climate resilience,
covering the climate impacts it addressed, the expected useful life of various approaches, and LEED credit references.
https://www.usgbc.org/resources/green-building-and-climate-resilience-understanding-impacts-and-preparing-
changing-conditi
• Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Summary of Potential Climate Change Impacts, Vulnerabilities,
and Adaptation Strategies - A synopsis of lessons learned from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments'
climate adaptation planning initiatives from 2010 - 2012. https://www.mwcog.org/documents/2013/07/01/summary-
of-potential-climate-change-impacts-vulnerabilities-and-adaptation-strategies-climate-change/
• Alaska Climate Change Adaptation Planning Tool - Tool covering climate impacts facing Alaska and a Vulnerability Risk
Matrix. https://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/pubs/M-141.html
• Resilient Design Institute - Creates solutions that enable buildings and communities to survive and thrive in the face of
climate change, natural disasters and other disruptions, https://www.resilientdesign.org/
• Environmental Building News Resilient Design - Lists specific design approaches to help ensure that buildings are
resilient to storms, flooding, temperature extremes, power loss, water shortages, and fire.
https://www.buildinggreen.com/resilient-design
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 139
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• Environmental Building News - Design for Adaptation: Living in a Climate-Changing World - Provides specific climate
adaptation considerations and techniques.
https://www.buildinggreen.com/feature/design-adaptation-living-climate-changing-world
Floods
• FEMA Building Code Resources for Floods and Other Hazards - Summarizes flood resistant building codes and
resources and National Flood Insurance Program requirements, https://www.fema.gov/emergencv-managers/risk-
management/building-science/national-flood-insurance-technical-bulletins
• Improving the Flood Performance of New Buildings: Flood Resilient Construction - Guidance on designing buildings
for flood resilience developed from the Department for Communities and Local Government: London and the joint
Defra/Environment Agency Flood Risk Management Research and Development Programme.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/svstem/uploads/attachment data/file/7730/flood perfo
rmance.pdf
Earthquakes
• FEMA Earthquake Building Codes - Seismic building codes and seismic retrofit information.
https://www.fema.gov/emergencv-managers/risk-management/earthquake/seismic-building-codes
• FEMA QuakeSmart - A National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) initiative to help businesses in at-risk
earthquake communities implement earthquake mitigation.
https://www.fema.gov/emergencv-managers/risk-management/earthquake/training/quakesmart
• Association of Bay Area Governments Earthquakes and Hazards Program -
https://abag.ca.gov/our-work/resilience
Fire
• Firewise Communities - Provides information on building and landscaping practices to reduce wildfire risk.
https://www.nfpa.org/Education-and-Research/Wildfire/Firewise-USA
Heat Island Effect
• EPA Heat Island Effect - Resources on reducing the urban heat island effect including: trees and vegetation, cool roofs,
cool pavements, and green roofs, https://www.epa.gov/heatislands
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 140
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l-lopland Band of Porno Indians, California: Grid Alternatives Solar Installation
SECTION 9: CODE IMPLEMENTATION AND
COMPLIANCE
There are many ways tribes can promote and ensure building and land use codes are adopted and complied with,
including through their traditional governance structures or by creating new regulatory building and zoning
departments.
Since tribal circumstances and needs are both extremely diverse, and often differ from those of most non-tribal
communities, adoption and implementation strategies should be carefully considered for each tribe. In addition,
there are strategies unique to ensuring green building code implementation and compliance that can enhance
awareness and compliance towards tribal goals.
Many green building and sustainable development practices align well with tribal goals and needs.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 141
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What Advantages Could my Tribe
Gain by Implementing Green
Building Codes?
Key Questions:
Have tribal goals been established for green building design,
construction, and sustainable land use development practices?
Is there a process to incorporate tribal goals for green design
into building and land use codes?
Is there a process to ensure that the parties responsible for
code compliance are knowledgeable about the green building
goals and requirements?
Is there an appeals process to address code implementation
conflicts or disputes that may arise during different phases of a
construction project?
Is there a process in place for notice of planned adoption and
implementation of new codes, standards, or policies?
Is the legal authority for any implementation and compliance
activity included in the code adoption process?
Has a periodic codes review cycle been developed?
Key Strategies:
Identify code implementation and compliance approaches that
are available and appropriate for the tribe to utilize:
o Follow traditional governance processes;
o Develop relationships with builders and contractors to
achieve collaborative, on-site construction problem solving. Notify those who will be affected (builders,
planners, community members, etc.) and provide opportunities for questions and input for improving
the implementation and compliance process;
o Hire an experienced building inspector;
o Train staff to conduct building inspections and provide green building education;
o Work with a local jurisdiction(s) to provide inspection support;
o Hire a third-party code inspector.
Conduct periodic reviews and updates of codes, standards, and policies. Create and approve a process or
policy that defines:
o Time increments for review;
o Describes the review process;
o Identifies who should carry out the review; and
o Describes how the results of the review will be presented to the appropriate tribal decision makers.
Develop procedures for gathering feedback to inform the next review cycle and ensure that potential
problems that arise in the interim can be addressed in a timely manner.
Tribes are potentially in a better position
than other communities to incorporate
sustainable practices into their
regulatory requirements because they
may not need to overcome existing
barriers within conventional codes,
standards and policies. Some
conventional building codes have
presented barriers to green building
practices because they address a
narrower set of hazards related to
building.
Additionally, tribal sovereignty enables
tribes to choose how best to address
their needs and desires for managing
building and development on their lands.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 142
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What Should an
Implementation Plan
and Budget Include?
Compliance with Existing or New Land Use and
Building Codes
Building codes are only effective to the degree they are followed. Ensuring
code compliance requires both a process to review building plans to confirm
that they meet regulatory requirements, as well as a process to review and
approve variations.
Few tribes have fully staffed building or planning and zoning departments like
those found in county or state governments. Therefore the processes for plan
submittal and review for building and development are often handled in other
ways. Tribes can develop plan review, inspection and code compliance
capacity or work with building code enforcement experts to implement and
ensure codes are followed.
Many non-tribal communities hire outside or private plan review and
inspection services. Small communities often hire a single building
official/inspector to serve multiple jurisdictions so they can share the
expenses. Some tribes may be able to take advantage of similar arrangements
with other tribes or with local or regional building departments. Regardless of
the method employed to provide inspections or plan review, a financial
mechanism needs to be in place to pay for these services for long-term
viability of the program.
Staffing needs
Training needs
Timeframes
•
Defined organizational and
operational structure
•
Inter- and intra-departmental
relationships and responsibilities
•
Estimated costs
Funding sources
Fee schedule
Within tribal communities there can also be culturally-specific community
engagement methods. These methods can inform the development of a tribe's code implementation and
compliance strategy. For example, working with community builders, and engagement and mediation strategies
have been used to minimize tribal code compliance issues.
Some tribes use other processes when work is done by tribal entities or when work is carried out by designers,
contractors or developers with long-standing relationships and reliable past performance.
Key Questions:
Has the tribe developed and adopted policies for building and
land use code enforcement, which provide for plan review,
approval, and inspection services?
Have appropriate community engagement methods been used to
inform the tribe's enforcement strategy?
Examples of Tribal Code
Inspection and Compliance
Techniques:
Training staff to conduct building
inspections
Hiring an experienced building
inspector
Working with a local jurisdiction to
provide inspection support
Hiring a third-party code inspector
Using informal processes or
mediation
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 143
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Case Study: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (Tribe), located in Southern California, adopted its own Tribal
Building and Safety Code (Code) in 1999.
The Code was most recently amended in January 2014 to reflect current industry standards. With this
amendment, the Tribe incorporated by reference the latest International and California Building Codes (2013
edition) - including the California Green Energy Code. By referencing these codes within the Tribal Building
and Safety Code, the Tribe ensures that each project it reviews and approves meets the most current industry
standards.
The Tribal Building and Safety Code is designed to:
• provide minimum standards to safeguard life or limb, health, property and public welfare by
regulating and controlling the design, construction, quality of material, use and occupancy, location
and maintenance of all buildings and structures on the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation not covered
under a land use contract between the Tribe and a local jurisdiction;
• provide practical safeguarding from hazards arising from the use of electricity, heating, ventilating,
cooling, refrigeration systems, and incinerators; and
• adopt and enforce rules and regulations necessary to clarify the application of the provisions of the
Code.
Permit fees are based on local cost of construction as well as Building Valuation Data as published by the
International Conference of Building Officials.
The Tribe utilizes a third-party contractor to perform building and safety functions within the Tribe's
jurisdiction. The designated Tribal Building Official is responsible for administering, enforcing, and rendering
interpretations of all provisions of the Tribal Building and Safety Code. Under the direction of the Tribal
Building Official, qualified building and safety experts are authorized to enter upon private or public property
to enforce the Code - including inspections, re-inspections, and/or testing of any work performed.
Any violation of the Code is considered unlawful and a public nuisance which may result in any of the
following: a stop work order, a notice to correct order with a specific timeline, or administrative violations
(including fines and potential suspension, revocation, or denial of licenses or permits issued).
In addition to the Tribal Building and Safety Code, the Tribe recently participated in a local Voluntary Green
Building program, which stemmed from a valley-wide greenhouse gas reduction program called Green for
Life. The program was funded by grants through Southern California Edison (SCE), and it was managed locally
by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG). The Voluntary Green Building program provided
the Tribe with manuals for distribution to Tribal Members and other interested parties, which provided
detailed illustrations explaining how to improve energy efficiency in one's residence or place of business.
Agua Caliente Ordinance: https://www.aguacaliente.org/documents/planning-department/Ordinance26.pdf
Tribal Involvement: Tribal Council, Tribal Building Division, Tribal Planning Division
Non-Tribal Involvement: Coachella Valley Association of Governments, Southern California Edison
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 144
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Available Resources: Implementation and Enforcement
NOTE: The Standards of Ethical Conduct do not permit the U.S. EPA to endorse any private sector website, product, or
service. The U.S. EPA does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find on these websites.
• Department of Energy Building Energy Codes Program -
o Resource Guides on energy code compliance for designers, policy makers, code officials.
https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-energy-codes-program
o Model Policies for commercial and residential building, with examples.
https://www.energy.gov/scep/slsc/policies-and-programs
o Regional Energy Efficiency Organizations - Though these groups primarily deal with state and local codes, they can
be helpful as regionally knowledgeable resources, https://www.energycodes.gov/
• Shared Enforcement of the Uniform Code and Energy Code - A guide prepared by New York State on increasing
efficiency by sharing code administration and enforcement responsibilities with one or more other local governments
or contracting with a private, non-governmental provider to perform code enforcement services. Sample agreements
are included, https://dos.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2019/05/how-book-mav-2008.pdf
• Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) - Publications on energy code implementation and enforcement.
https://www.swenergy.org/resources-publications/
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Havasupai Tribe, Arizona: Little Navajo Falls
SECTION 10: A PLAN TO UPDATE, ADAPT OR
ADOPT CODES, OR DEVELOP NEW CODES
Completing the Assessment Section of this Toolkit is a first step in achieving greener building codes for a tribe.
Below is a more comprehensive process that can help whether the tribe is updating, adapting or adopting existing
codes, or developing new building codes. Available resources, the timeframe in which the tribe wants to have
greener codes in place, and the availability of existing information will impact each tribe's code development and
adoption process.
STEP 1: Complete the Toolkit Assessments and Conduct Initial Research
STEP 2: Review and Refine Priorities - Community Visioning
Steering Committee Planning
Community Assessments
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 146
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Goal Setting Meeting
Design Workshop
Plan Review and Presentation
STEP 3: Assess Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Barriers
STEP 4: Choose Approach and Types of Code(s)
STEP 5: Finalize Code for Tribal Government Approval, Adoption and Implementation
Finalize the code language, technical research and requirements
Plan approval, legal adoption and update process
Create communication strategy (tribal government, community, builders, others)
Seek approvals and legal adoption
Contract or hire, train and support staff
Community engagement and support
STEP 6: Create Implementation and Compliance System
STEP 7: Evaluate and Update the Code as Needed
STEP 1: Complete the Toolkit Assessment Section and Conduct Initial Research
Before creating an Action Plan, be sure to complete the Toolkit Assessment Section to help outline the tribe's green
building priorities. Instruction for how to complete the Toolkit can be found in Section 2.
Based on the tribe's priorities, conduct initial research on:
• Historic and current ways that buildings and land use practices contribute to the community.
o Are there buildings that serve community members particularly well, promote a healthy lifestyle and or
balance with the local ecology?
o Who has knowledge and understanding of the built and natural environment relationship from the
tribe's perspective? What is this relationship?
¦ What traditional and local building materials should be considered?
¦ Which traditional activities can the code support/facilitate?
¦ What are current health problems facing the community that relate to land use and the built
environment - both outdoor and indoor?
¦ Which health-promoting behaviors and actions can be promoted by building codes?
o How have building locations, designs and construction practices been determined?
¦ Who makes these decisions and through what process?
o Are there buildings or land uses that are good (or bad) models for future development?
• Identify any potential partners that your tribe may want to coordinate with (nearby tribes, state or local
government code officials, green building organizations, etc.).
• Assess codes that may be useful to review:
o What green codes exist?
o What green codes appear to meet the tribe's priorities?
o What codes or standards were used in the construction of buildings in the community? By the housing
authority? What are the lessons learned from construction and operation or use of those buildings?
o Are there codes or standards that are required when accessing particular funding (HUD, BIA, etc.)? What
are the lessons learned from construction and use of those buildings?
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 147
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o What building codes, standards or guidelines are being used by nearby tribes, local and state
government, and registered architects and engineers? What can be learned from them to address tribal
priorities and local issues, for example seismic design, local climatic conditions, etc.?
o What type of construction is being planned (commercial or residential)?
• What traditional tribal governance practices might be incorporated into the code structure?
• Is there a need to support flexibility for tribal members to build their own homes?
• What tribal entities and outside agencies will be involved in or affected by code development and adoption?
• Can community members be part of the process of code development?
• Are insurance carriers insuring properties in the community and would green building codes impact this?
STEP 2: Review and Refine Priorities - Community Visioning
One way to refine the tribe's green building priorities is to undergo a community visioning process. Through this
process, the tribe can identify community priorities that can be compared to the Assessment Tool findings to inform
code development. For example, if a community priority it to conserve water resources, the plumbing component of
the building code could be written to require or incentivize gray water use and low-flow water fixtures for all new
construction.
For tribes with codes, the Toolkit helps identify areas where codes could be updated to incorporate more green
building elements. When determining how to update the existing codes, it can be useful to list and prioritize all of
the areas within the codes where the Assessment questions were answered RED and
For tribes without codes, the Toolkit helps identify where the tribe already intends to incorporate GREEN building
elements into their codes, and provides references and ideas for doing so. The Toolkit also identifies areas within
the planned codes that do not fully incorporate GREEN building elements, as indicated by the Assessment questions
that were answered RED and . For these areas, the tribe may want to reconsider opportunities to prioritize
more sustainable options to incorporate within their codes.
The questions below can help tribes with or without codes identify how the tribe can address the RED and
areas to make their codes more GREEN.
• What are the tribe's Assessment priorities to include as amendments, in a tribal overlay or a new code?
• Do the Assessment priorities predominantly in fall in one category or are they randomly distributed?
• What are the most important sustainability topics for your tribe to focus on? If this is not known, one way to
determine the most important topics is by completing a community visioning process outlined in the
example Tribal Green Building Visioning Process, summarized below.
Example - Tribal Green Building Visioning Process
Each tribe's visioning process may be different. Here are some steps to consider.
• Steering Committee Planning - Identify who should be involved in the planning process (e.g., tribal
government officials, elders, residents, architects, land use planners, natural resource experts, building
users, etc.) and explain this process to all interested, eligible participants. Select a steering committee. A
design team could also be chosen at the same time.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 148
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• Community Assessments - Determine how involved other
members of the tribe want to be in the planning process. If
they want to be involved, form focus groups, plan public
meetings, or go to established events where they can
participate.
Related to community visioning, tribal
members have encouraged
• Goal Setting Meeting - Set goals for your planning process
(What is the potential vision? When will we complete the
planning process?).
"remembering" to look to past wisdom
and knowledge of traditional ways that
ensured safe, healthy housing and was
aligned with tribal values. This wisdom
• Design Workshop - The steering committee and design team
create a community concept plan, with input from the
participating community members. The Design Team obtains
the materials and feedback needed to create a draft
and knowledge can be incorporating into
the tribe's code framework or code
requirements.
Community Vision Plan.
• Plan Review - The design team will present the Community
Vision Plan to the steering committee and participating community members, who will provide feedback for
refinements.
• Plan Presentation - The design team will make final refinements and present the plan to the steering
committee and community for approval.
For more information on community visioning, visit the EPA Green Communities website:
http://www.epa.gov/greenkit/index.htm
STEP 3: Assess Internal and External Barriers and Opportunities for Change
Tribal governments should consider which green building practices might be met with internal or external support or
resistance. For example, if the tribal government knows a particular group has championed sustainability or has not
been supportive of some sustainable design elements, a conversation should be started with them early in the
process. Although it is difficult to anticipate potential issues early in the process; taking the time to think them
through can be helpful.
Assess Your Tribe's Internal Conditions
The following questions should be considered to gain a better understanding of the current internal conditions, and
how they will impact developing, adapting or adopting codes:
• What opportunities and, or obstacles exist to achieve code development, implementation, and compliance?
o Sufficient or limited staff resources and knowledge?
o Are cultural beliefs reflected or disregarded by the proposed code?
o Do community members support or disapprove of building codes and sustainable building?
• Can the tribe engage the community (and non-tribal builders, contractors) to comply with the code?
• What is the tribe's capacity to implement the building code?
o Sufficient staff and technical expertise to develop and implement the priorities
o Resources needed to develop and implement the priorities
• Is it more efficient to "bundle" the code priorities or implement them one-by-one over time?
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 149
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• Should the tribe reevaluate whether improving existing codes, adopting codes, creating codes or some
combination of these strategies are the best approach?
• Does your tribe need to reevaluate the existing or proposed process for implementation and compliance?
• What departments or tribal organizations will be affected by new or proposed changes to code/ordinances
and implementation/compliance?
o Have these departments or tribal organizations been given the opportunity to engage in the process?
o Who are the specific people that would be directly affected?
o What are their roles during the regulatory process and how would the proposed changes impact their
roles?
o Would the information sharing process or internal structure (e.g., the inter-departmental dynamics that
dictate how permits are currently issued and complied with), need to be modified?
• What level of internal support does your tribe's government have for permitting changes?
o Are there "champions" within tribal departments or tribal organizations?
o Are there "champions" in tribal leadership?
o Are there "champions" among the tribe's architects and builders?
• To what extent can the proposed regulatory changes be tried on a limited scale (e.g., first start with
commercial development) before scaling up revised codes/ordinances for other sectors (e.g., residential)?
o Would small scale application hurt or help promote the proposed changes?
o Is implementing or phasing the changes dependent on funding the changes?
Assess External Conditions that May Affect Your Tribe
This section deals with identifying and working with external stakeholders and consensus building processes.
• Which outside entities could be affected by tribal building code changes, which have strong interest(s)?
o Is there local government elected official (e.g., city council) interest, engagement, and, or oversight?
o Are there frequent conversations with non-profit groups, developers, or builders?
o How effective is your tribal government's ability to communicate with external parties:
¦ Is able to make a compelling case for change?
¦ Shares information in a timely manner?
¦ Understands expectations from the various external stakeholder groups?
o What additional information is needed to make decisions from an external perspective? Are these
information needs similar to the internal needs?
o What level of external support does the tribal government have for the proposed regulatory changes?
¦ From federal agencies, other tribal government, state, county, etc.?
¦ From the affected community—developers, builders, owners, etc.?
¦ From non-governmental and civic organizations—environmental groups, local watershed groups,
community groups, etc.?
¦ From civic leaders and the general public—
o Is this an issue that has been raised with the public before?
o Is this an issue the public will actively care about?
o Does the tribal government need active public support for this permitting change?
o To what extent are the changes consistent with the non-tribal community's policies, mission or vision?
o Have other tribal or local governments of similar size, geographic location, etc., adopted similar
changes?
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Green Building Practices that
May be Restricted by
Conventional Codes:
¦ Is it helpful to external parties to know that the
proposed changes have been implemented elsewhere?
¦ Is it helpful to external parties to know that the tribal
community would be the "first" (e.g., in the area, state,
region, etc.) to implement, change, or try something
new?
o What is the timing of the potential regulatory change?
¦ Are the elected officials up for re-election or new to
the tribal government?
¦ Is the change being proposed during a busy or slow
regulatory season?
¦ Is the change occurring during a period of high
economic growth or slow economic growth?
o Would a small scale application of proposed changes or a
broader sustainable design or green building program be
more likely to succeed?
STEP 4: Choose Approach and Type of Building
Code
A tribe looking to use codes for the first time or to change the codes
currently used has a variety of choices. Four common choices for new
codes are:
1. Adopting existing "off the shelf" codes
2. Adapting existing "off the shelf" codes
3. Creating a new code or codes or a new style of regulatory tool
4. A combination of the above
Adopting Existing Codes
• Adopting existing codes may involve the least investment of time, effort and expertise of any of the code
choices, although costs for purchasing codes and related standards may be high.
• Existing codes are typically extensive documents requiring expertise in interpretation and compliance.
• Most existing codes were not developed for or by tribes, and therefore may not address all needs or address
needs well.
• Adopting existing codes typically includes basic amendments for local climatic and other conditions such as
seismic risk factors, termite intensity, radon risk, etc.
• Existing codes may restrict specific green building practices a tribe wants to utilize.
Adapting Existing Codes
• Tribes can adapt existing codes to include tribal priorities, local and cultural elements.
• Adapting existing codes can be a balanced way of using tribal resources to reach tribal goals.
• Adaptation of existing codes includes basic amendments mentioned above as well as more extensive
changes such as deleting or adding sections or changing provisions.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit m 151
• Rainwater use
• Greywateruse
• Composting, non-water or urine
separating toilets
• Ultra low tech materials and
techniques
• Wall systems of adobe, straw bale,
light straw clay, rammed earth, cob,
hemp lime, woodchip clay, stone,
cordwood, earth bag, tire, bamboo
• Green roofs
• Rubble trench foundations
• Rocket mass heaters
• Earthen floors
• Very small house sizes
• Constructed wetlands for
wastewater treatment
• Super-efficient HVAC-free buildings
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• Adaptation can include selection of relevant appendix chapters
that are available with some codes.
• Adapting existing codes may not change the complexity of the
document and may not work well for some tribes.
• Use of a tribal overlay is one way to use an existing code while
adding tribal priorities and local and cultural elements to it.
o Multigenerational homes
o East-facing entry doors
o Landscaping with native edible and medicinal plants
o Large cooking and kitchen ventilation systems
o Storage areas for tribal regalia, materials, or clothing
o Passive solar design
o Solar ready construction (for PV and Solar Hot Water)
o Community involvement in design and construction
o Preference for local and historical materials and methods
o Material reuse
The tribal overlay could be described as a
"cultural code". An overlay can provide
intent statements as in a performance
code or specific requirements as in a
prescriptive code about tribal goals for
green building and cultural values that
exceed or add to adopted codes.
Example intent statement: to incorporate
water conservation, harvesting, and
reuse into projects whenever possible.
Creating New Codes
Example specific requirement: the
maximum flow rate of a kitchen faucets
shall not exceed 1.8 gallons per minute at
60 pounds per square inch (psi)
New codes can:
• Be comprehensive or limited to a specific purpose,
• Specifically support the tribe's unique vision, priorities and risks,
• Be simple or complex, and written in technical or non-technical language,
• Provide opportunities to develop a new code framework to align with current or traditional governance
structure,
• Require expertise and experience with codes, green building and land use.
Developing codes for a tribe's unique goals can be an effective path towards achieving their envisioned future. Well-
crafted codes can support tribal sovereign and regulatory authority to achieve community goals. Options to exercise
regulatory authority on non-tribal lands may be more limited, but many opportunities still exist to support green and
culturally relevant development. A tribal code can also guide development projects owned or built by your tribe on
non-tribal lands.
The choice to adopt, adapt or create a new code should be carefully considered. Conventional building and land use
codes are extensive documents and typically updated on a three year cycle. An important consideration in choosing
to develop a full code is a tribe's capacity to both develop and regularly update a code.
Tribal Green Building Toolkit ¦ 152
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Kayenta Township, Arizona: Northeast Arizona Technical Institute for Vocational Education. Photo: Kayenta Township Building Department, 2011
Kayenta Township on the Navajo Nation adopted the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) with code electives
to protect for the protect greenfields, conservation areas, and agricultural land for construction. The code was used on
the Northeast Arizona Technical Institute for Vocational Education campus.
For a Tribe Adapting or Adopting Existing Code
If your tribe has not previously adopted codes or has limited resources,
consider adapting or adopting an existing green building or land use
code. Included at the end of this section is a list of existing codes,
standards and other resources that may be relevant for a tribe to
consider when adapting or adopting codes. The tribe's priorities can be
incorporated by using a tribal overlay with an existing code, simplifying
an existing code with clear intent statements, or phasing codes in over
time or from voluntary to eventual mandatory requirements.
For a Tribe Creating an Entirely New Code
The development of an entirely new code may serve some tribes better
than anything that currently exists. Desire for a customized code to
meet tribal goals, or a code written in less technical language may drive
the decision. Traditional governance structures, blending of traditional
knowledge and other elements, or the desire to involve elders may
inform a new structure for a code unique to a specific tribe. Included at
the end of this section is a list of resources that may be relevant for a tribe to consider when developing new codes.
Example of Unique Format for
a New Tribal Code
The Green Building Code of the Big Sandy
R^ncheria includes requirements and
options, with a reasoning statement that
functions like the objectives in a
performance code, and offers helpful
resources to educate and ensure best
practices, The code is infused with
formatting elements from the Rocky
Mountain Land Use Institute's
Sustainable Community Development
Framework.
https://www.law.du.edu/d7/rmlui
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STEP 5: Finalize Code for Tribal Government Approval, Adoption and
Implementation
• Finalize the code to be approved by the tribe's government
o Finalize technical research and requirements
o Plan approval and legal adoption process
o Plan periodic review and update process
o Create communication strategy for the community, tribal government, builders, and others
• Seek approvals and legal adoption
• Contract or hire, train and support staff
• Community engagement and support
STEP 6: Create an Implementation Plan and Compliance System
An implementation plan and compliance system are integral parts of a successful code. This is especially true when
methods, materials and topics, such as culturally supportive practices, are introduced or implemented for the first
time.
Key elements of an implementation plan include budgets, timeframes, staffing needs, defined organizational and
operational structure and inter- and intra-departmental relationships and responsibilities, estimated costs, funding
sources, and fee schedules.
Key elements of a compliance system include developing good relationships with building designers, builders,
contractors and residents, plan review, inspection schedules and procedures, compliance and, or corrective action
procedures, and an appeals process.
STEP 7: Evaluate and Update the Code as Needed
An essential role of codes is to incorporate current knowledge of building and land use materials and methods while
responding to updated information about risks and changing conditions. A regular review and update cycle is
incorporated into the model code development processes every three years.
Whether a tribe creates their own code or adopts an existing code that is updated through a process, a tribe ideally
will have a regular review of their adopted codes so that they too can respond to changes in information, risks and
conditions.
• Assess how well you were able to adopt, adapt, or develop new codes;
• Evaluate your implementation and compliance efforts; and
• Identify adjustments or additional actions that are needed.
For more information on code development, visit the EPA Tribal Building Code Development website:
https://www.epa.gov/green-building-tools-tribes/tribal-green-building-code-guidance
A case study on the Pinoleville Pomo Nation's approach to Community Visioning is provided in Section 7.
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Resources for Updating, Adopting or Adapting Existing Codes, and Developing
New Codes
NOTE: The Standards of Ethical Conduct do not permit the U.S. EPA to endorse any private sector website, product, or
service. The U.S. EPA does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find on these websites.
Existing codes, standards and other resources that may be relevant for a tribe to consider when adapting or
adopting codes.
Tribal Green Building Resources
• EPA Tribal Green Building Codes Development website -
https://www.epa.gov/green-building-tools-tribes/tribal-green-building-code-guidance
• Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative - https://roadmap.sustainablenativecommunities.org/
• CalRecycle Buying and Building Green in Indian Country - https://calrecvcle.ca.gov/greenbuilding/
Comprehensive Life Safety Codes
• International Residential Code - https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IRC2021P2
• International Building Code, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical and other codes - https://www.cvberregs.com/
• International Performance Codes for Buildings and Facilities - http://publicecodes.cvberregs.com/
• California Building Standards Codes with Chapter 11 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) -
https://law.resource.org/pub/us/code/safetv.html
Green Codes that Overlay Comprehensive Life Safety Codes
• International Green Construction Code - http://publicecodes.cvberregs.com/
• International Energy Conservation Code - http://publicecodes.cvberregs.com/
• Green Plumbing & Mechanical Code Supplement -
http://iapmomembership.org/index.php?page=shop.product details&flvpage=flvpage iapmo.tpl&product id=4&categ
orv id=6&option=com virtuemart<emid=3
• Uniform Solar Energy Code -
http://iapmomembership.org/index.php?page=shop.product details&flvpage=flvpage iapmo.tpl&product id=709&ca
tegorv id=41&kevword=solar+energv&option=com virtuemart<emid=3
• Sustainable Community Development Code Framework - http://www.law.du.edu/index.php/rmlui/rmlui-
p ra cti ce/cod e-f ra m ewo rk
• Oregon Energy Code - http://www.bcd.oregon.gov/programs/energv.html
• Washington Energy Code - https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/apps/sbcc/page.aspx?nid=14
Green Standards, Rating and Labeling Systems and Points Programs
• ENERGY STAR Certified New Homes - http://www.energvstar.gov/index.cfm?c=new homes.hm index&s=mega
• EPA WaterSense Specifications for New Homes - http://www.epa.gov/watersense/new homes/homes final.html
• LEED for Homes - http://www.usgbc.org
• LEED for Neighborhood Development - http://www.usgbc.org
• Enterprise Green Communities Criteria - http://www.enterprisecommunitv.com/solutions-and-innovation/enterprise-
green-communities/criteria
• Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard -
http://www.commerce.wa.gov/Programs/housing/TrustFund/Pages/EvergreenSustainableDevelopment.aspx
• Sustainable Community Development Code Framework - http://www.law.du.edu/index.php/rmlui/rmlui-
p ra cti ce/cod e-f ra m ewo rk
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• Home Energy Rating System (HERS) - http://www.resnet.us/energv-rating
• Living Building Challenge - http://living-future.org/lbc
• Green Globes - http://www.greenblobes.com
• Green Guide for Health Care - http://gghc.org/
• Collaborative for High Performance Schools Criteria - http://www.chps.net/dev/Drupal/node/212
• LEED for Schools - http://www.usgbc.org/leed/rating-svstems/schools
Resources for Developing New Codes
• EPA Green Building Standards - Summarizes and provides comparisons of some green building standards and codes.
http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/standards/
• Department of Energy, Going Beyond Code - A guide to Creating Effective Green Building Programs for Energy
Efficient and Sustainable Communities.
http://www.energvcodes.gov/sites/default/files/documents/GoingBevondCode.pdf
• Development Center for Appropriate Technology -Works on sustainability and appropriate technology in relation to
the built environment, building codes, standards, public policy, www.dcat.net
• Ecological Building Network - Promotes intelligent design, clean energy and healthy building materials.
http://ww.ecobuildingnetwork.org
• Oasis Design - Provides guidance about rainwater harvesting, gray water systems and integrated approaches to
sustainability. http://www.oasisdesign.net
• Building Codes Assistance Project's Online Code Environment and Advocacy Network (BCAP OCEAN) - A collection of
useful information about energy efficiency, renewable energy, green building codes and code resources.
http://ww.bcap-ocean.org
• The New Buildings Institute - Assesses technologies, promotes design approaches, and helps guide policies and
programs that will significantly improve the energy efficiency of buildings, http://www.newbuildings.org
• Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center - Provides an online archive of green building codes and
standards, http://ww.pprc.org/pubs/greencon/code std.cfm#codes
• Columbia Law School Center for Climate Change Law Model Ordinances - Provides best practices for municipal
ordinances covering green buildings, wind and solar resources.
http://www.law.columbia.edu/centers/climatechange/resources/municipal
• Codes and Hannover Principles - A living document supporting transformation and growth in the understanding of
human's interdependence with nature, http://www.mcdonough.com/writings/principles practices and.htm
• Architecture 2030 - Establishes a challenge and resources for carbon-neutral buildings that use no fossil fuel,
greenhouse-gas-emitting energy to operate, http://architecture2030.org/action/governments
• Public Resource.org - Maintains a list of safety codes adopted as law in state and select jurisdictions across the U.S.
https://law.resource.org/pub/us/code/safety.html
• 2012 Washington Energy Prescriptive Checklist - A visual guide to the Washington state energy code.
http://www.energy.wsu.edu/Documents/2012 Prescriptive Checklist.pdf
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SECTION 11: CONCLUSION
Tribes have shown strong interest in developing healthy, green affordable housing; and in many tribal communities
there is great need for such housing.
The U.S. EPA and the Tribal Green Building Codes Workgroup are interested in learning about your experiences using
this Toolkit and with tribal green building practices. We welcome your feedback via email at tribalcodes@epa.gov.
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APPENDIX A: GENERAL GREEN BUILDING
RESOURCES
This appendix contains resources that are relevant to green building codes and sustainable land use policies
generally and may be of use for tribes.
NOTE: The Standards of Ethical Conduct do not permit the U.S. EPA to endorse any private sector website, product, or
service. The U.S. EPA does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find on these websites.
ASHRAE
• ASHRAE Standard 189.1 - Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings - Except Low-Rise Residential
Buildings: https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/bookstore/standard-189-l
U.S. Green Building Council
• USGBC - Offers green building rating standards for new commercial construction and major renovations, residential
construction and major renovations, and new construction standards for specific building types -
https://www.usgbc.org/
• Roadmap to Sustainable Government Buildings - This document guides government staff and officials in the
development of a green building program based on the USGBC's LEED rating system.
https://www.usgbc.org/resources/roadmap-green-government-buildings
• USGBC Advocacy - https://www.usgbc.org/about/advocacv
• USGBC Advocacy Briefs -
https://www.usgbc.org/resources?LEED+Resource=%5B%22Advocacv+briefs%22%5D&Advocacv+Policv=%5B%22Advo
cacv+briefs%22%5D&Education+Resources=%5B%22Advocacv+briefs%22%5D&Credentialing+resources=%5B%22Advo
cacv+briefs%22%5D&Promotional=%5B%22Advocacv+briefs%22%5D
• USGBC Dynamic State Briefs - https://www.usgbc.org/articles/access-real-time-leed-data-state-market-briefs
• USGBC Advocacy & Policy Articles - https://www.usgbc.org/articles?Channels=%5B%22Advocacv+and+policv%22%5D
• USGBC Green Home Guide - https://www.greenhomeguide.com/
International Code Council
• The International Green Construction Code (IgCC) references ICC-700 and ASHRAE 189.1 and is applicable to
residential and commercial construction: https://www.iccsafe.org/products-and-services/i-codes/2018-i-codes/igcc/
• Code Adoption Resources - Including Code Adoption Toolkit downloads. "Briefing papers on technical issues, samples
of ordinances, endorsements and support materials from national organizations."
https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacv/code-adoption-resources/
• ICC Communities of Interest - The community exists as a meeting place for ICC members who share common interests
in the environmental impact of the buildings and in creating and using healthier and more resource-efficient models of
construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition.
https://www.iccsafe.org/membership/chapters/chapters-overview/
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National Home Builders Association
• NAHB/ICC-700 National Green Building Standard - Defines green building for single and multifamily homes, residential
remodeling projects and site development projects, https://www.nahb.org/advocacv/industry-issues/sustainabilitv-
and-green-building/icc-700-national-green-building-standard
Green Tools
• Whole Building Design Guide - The goal of the guide is to create a successful high-performance building by applying an
integrated design and team approach to the project during the planning and programming phases.
https://www.wbdg.org/
• Resource for General Green Technologies: The National Association of Home Builders Research Center - Created the
ToolBase Services with funding from Housing and Urban Development Authority. Here, green technologies and
practices are detailed to include summaries, manufacturers, resources specific to the method, where the technologies
or practice lies in terms of code acceptance, as well as alternative methods.
https://www.nahb.org/advocacv/industry-issues/sustainabilitv-and-green-building/nahb-green-resources
• BCAP Code Builder Tool - Provides info on advanced codes, explains terminology, references current practice of
specific measures, and provides info on applicability. The Code Builder also serves as a clearinghouse for next-
generation code changes - including advances and green measures used in high performance homes.
https://bcapcodes.org/tools/code-builder/residential/
• The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE): Sustainability Tool - Offers assistance on the
following issues: energy and C02 emissions, water use, adapting buildings for climate change, flood risk, sustainable
drainage systems, transport, ecology and biodiversity, pollution, health and wellbeing, waste, lifecycle impacts of
materials and equipment, local environment, and community.
https://www.cibse.org/knowledge-research/knowledge-portal/guide-l-sustainability-2020
• California Integrated Waste Management Board Sustainable Building Tool Kit - Research studies.
https://calrecvcle.ca.gov/greenbuilding/
Government Resources
• The District of Columbia City Council Enacted Legislation - Requires all new government buildings to go green. By
2012, all new buildings larger than 50,000 square feet—public or private— must conform to green standards.
https://www.greenbuildinglawupdate.com/articles/codes-andregulations/citv/
• New Mexico Executive Order 2006-001 - Requires all new state buildings and major renovations meet The 2030
Challenge's call for a 50 percent reduction in fossil-fuel energy consumption from what traditional buildings use by
using a LEED-based system, https://www.energycodes.gov/status/states/new-mexico
• San Jose City Council Green Building Ordinance - Adopted on June 23, 2009. Establishes requirements for new, private
sector construction.
https://www.sanioseca.gov/vour-government/departments-offices/environmental-services/energv/green-building
• Seattle, Washington City Council Bill 115524 - Amended the Land Use Code to allow a developer to build at a higher
density than is normally allowed under the code, so long as the developer can certify that the building will be rated
LEED Silver or its equivalent. The amendment applies only to buildings in downtown commercial districts.
https://www.seattle.gov/sdci/codes/codes-we-enforce-(a-z)/land-use-code
• The South Carolina Legislature House Bill 3034 - Requires that all state-owned and state-funded construction greater
than 10,000 ft2 and any major renovation projects of greater than fifty percent of total building space or value achieve
LEED-NC Silver certification or comparable standard.
https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sessll7 2007-2008/bills/3034.htm
• Creating Communities of Change: What We Learned in the Codes Forest - Presentation by David Eisenberg, Director
of the Development Center for Appropriate Technology for the West Coast Green Conference in 2007.
https://www.dcat.net/resources/communitiesofchange w-notes.pdf
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• California Green Building Standards Code - California has adopted the nation's first Green Building Standards Code.
https://www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC/CALGreen
• Chicago Green Permitting Program - By Chicago Department of Construction and Permits. If accepted into the
program it would create an expedited permit process. The greater the green building elements in the project plans, the
shorter the timeline to obtain a permit.
https://www.chicago.gov/citv/en/depts/bldgs/provdrs/permits/svcs/green-permits.html
• State of Minnesota Green Building Guidelines - Beginning on July 1, 2010 all Minnesota State bonded projects, new
and substantially renovated, that have not already started the Schematic Design Phase on August 1, 2009 will be
required to meet the Minnesota Sustainable Building 2030 (SB 2030) energy standards.
https://mn.gov/admin/government/construction-proiects/sustainable-buildings/
• Green Communities - Resource for Green Residential Standards and Guidance.
https://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/
• Green Communities: Self-Certification Process - Written to be based on affordable housing communities. 'The first
national green building program focused entirely on affordable housing. Launched by Enterprise in fall 2004, Green
Communities is designed to help developers, investors, builders and policymakers make the transition to a greener
future for affordable housing." https://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/checklist
• Green Communities Criteria - Explanations and organization of the standard.
https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/160/enterprise-green-communities-criteria-2008/
• Green Single Family Rehab Specifications - Guide specifications for reference to meet mandatory and optional 2008
Green Communities Criteria, https://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/checklist
• Green Point Rating System - Residential, voluntary rating system developed by Build It Green, a nonprofit organization
of California. Rating systems for both single and multifamily new homes and existing homes are to be updated every
three years to reflect changes to California Building Energy Efficiency Standards.
https://www.greenpointrated.com/greenpoint-rated/
• City of Bellingham, Washington - Sustainable Connections Advanced Methods and Materials (AMM) guidance for
permitting waterless urinals, composting toilets, rainwater harvesting systems, porous concrete and asphalt, vegetated
roofs, amended soils and rain gardens, https://cob.org/services/environment/lid/green-building
Compliance and Verification of Green Technologies
• Washington, D.C.'s Green Building Act of 2006 - Requires commercial projects to verify compliance through a District
agency or a third party, https://doee.dc.gov/publication/green-building-act-2006
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APPENDIX B: BLANK ASSESSMENT FORM
Questions, Potential Tools and
Techniques
For Tribe WITH Building Codes
For Tribe WITHOUT Building Codes
Tribal Priority:
Green
Green
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
•
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Priority:
Green
Green
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
•
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
Tribal Priority:
Green
Green
Required by code/ordinance
Incentivized
Will be required or incentivized by
code/ordinance
Potential Tools and Techniques:
Yellow
Yellow
•
Expressly allowed
Code/ordinance silent, but typically
allowed
Will be expressly allowed in
code/ordinance
Red
Red
~ Code/ordinance silent, but not
typically approved
~ Expressly prohibited
~ Will be prohibited or discouraged
~ Not Applicable
~ Not Applicable
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