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Environmental Committee

The Environmental Committee is tasked with helping DC Habitat for Humanity meet its environmental goals. The Committee implements the recommendations of Habitat for Humanity International's Better Built Program for the local DC affiliate. The Better Built Program is an initiative by the Construction and Environmental Resource Department (formerly the “GreenTeam” network) that helps affiliates adopt green building practices with the goal of building safe, durable, and efficient houses at the lowest cost possible. Our goal is to enable DC Habitat to build homes that are energy efficient and healthy for the residents, while maintaining a high standard of environmental responsibility in all aspects of the building process.

The Committee does hands-on projects to improve DC Habitat houses, such as running Operation Caulk for the affiliate. Operation Caulk is a program begun by GreenHOME, Inc. that uses volunteer labor to seal air leaks in Habitat houses during construction, thereby improving energy efficiency and reducing homeowner’s energy bills. The Environmental Committee will continue to work cooperatively with GreenHOME on this and other projects to meet common goals.

The Environmental Committee also conducts research on how to make improvements in building practices and material selection to make the homes as energy-efficient and “green” as possible, while working within our budget and time constraints. The committee seeks to:

• Improve the energy-efficiency of the homes, complying with EPA ENERGY STAR requirements when possible, without undue cost increases or construction delays.
• Ensure that proper air-sealing and duct sealing work is completed during the construction of each house.
• Adopt use of alternative construction materials that provide advantages in energy efficiency or durability, or that are manufactured and acquired in a more environmentally friendly manner.
• Adopt innovative green building practices that offer advantages in energy efficiency while reducing costs and use of natural resources.
• Improve the indoor air quality of the homes through selecting healthier materials and appliances.

The Committee communicates what it learns to DC Habitat’s director of construction, the construction site superintendents, and Americorps volunteers, advising them on how to improve the construction process.

The Environmental Committee also provides oversight of all activities at the construction site that relate to maintaining good environmental stewardship. These include:

• Recycling waste and surplus materials
• Participate with regional Habitat ReStores through purchases of construction materials and donation of surplus materials.
• Managing and disposing of hazardous waste properly
• Maintaining proper runoff and erosion controls to reduce sediment pollution

The Committee makes use of volunteer labor to meet its goals without impeding the progress of home construction. We also seek additional corporate sponsorships and other sources of revenue to offset any additional costs.

In the future, the Environmental Committee also plans to provide training to new owners of DC Habitat homes on how to conserve energy and be environmentally responsible homeowners.