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Green Roof for Interior Department

12/17/2008
SustainableBusiness.com News

The U.S. Department of the Interior got a little greener yesterday--and we're not talking about Obama's appointment of Senator Ken Salazar to head the agency in the new administration.

Current Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne yesterday unveiled a green roof on a wing of the Main Interior Building in Washington, D.C.

The nation's capital has a huge problem from storm runoff and sewer overflows, with more than half the city covered with paved or constructed surfaces. The vegetation and soil on the green roof will absorb rainwater and curb runoff, helping to protect the fragile Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Benefits include:

Improve water quality by neutralizing acid rain effects and filtering pollution from rainwater.
Hold up to .7 inches of rain to reduce stormwater runoff entering the sewage system and reduce streambank erosion.
Shield the roof from the sun’s direct rays, which extends the roof’s life span, insulates the building during the summer and saves energy as well as mitigates urban “heat island” effects.
Improve air quality by filtering the air that moves across the plants and, through photosynthesis, convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Provide habitat for songbirds and pollinators.
Reduce noise transfer from the outdoors.
Provide a visually attractive sight for employees and visitors.

The green roof project started more than seven years ago when Mike Cyr, National Business Center’s (NBC) Chief of the Division of Facilities Management Services, read an article on the benefits of Green Roofs in Europe. Although green roofs were not commonplace at the time, NBC decided to explore possibilities for installing a green roof on the Main Interior Building.

The project is the culmination of lengthy planning and a partnership among Interior’s Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, the General Services Administration, and the NBC.