Good afternoon, I'm Nancy Soreng speaking on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County in support of Bill 17-06: Buildings - Energy Efficiency and Environmental Design.  While the League of Women Voters has not studied the specific concept of "Green Buildings", we have long held the position that resources should be conserved and protected to assure their future availability.  Pollution of these resources should be controlled in order to preserve the physical, chemical and biological integrity of ecosystems and to protect health.  The League also believes protection and management of natural resources are responsibilities shared by all levels of government.

As you are probably aware, the school system has taken the lead in encouraging green buildings, and M-NCPPC has pledged to make its new office building in Silver Spring eligible for a silver LEED [(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System®] certificate.  Montgomery County government green buildings could be an example to the entire community; we think that they should be specifically encouraged.`>

The sooner we have buildings incorporating elements of green design, the more energy we can save---while also having a cleaner environment through cutting down on air pollution.  Green buildings also can contribute to slowing down the rate of increase in global warming.  And as was evident at a council hearing with a speaker from Arlington, VA, green buildings overall can cost less to build and definitely cost less to operate.

Our national organization has adopted the position that special attention should be paid to maintaining and improving the environmental quality of urban communities. As Montgomery County becomes more densely populated, legislation such as Bill 17-06 becomes even more relevant to this goal.

Thank you for the opportunity to address you this afternoon.