Green Building Products New Software Now Available

EPA has made available a new version of a software package for selecting cost-effective, green building products. Aimed at designers, builders, and product manufacturers, the software program, "Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability" or BEES 2.0, is based on standards agreed to by the EPA, industry, and public interest groups. The new version includes actual environmental and economic performance data for over 65 building products, twice as many as BEES l.0. The package was developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Building and Fire Research Laboratory, with support from the U.S. EPA Preferable Purchasing Program and the HUD Partnership for Advancing Technology In Housing. The system assesses the following environmental impacts for building products: ozone depletion, smog, ecological and human toxicity, global warming, acid rain, eutophication, natural resource depletion, indoor air quality, and solid waste. The new version is available at: www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/bees.html. A compact disc and print manual can be ordered through the EPA Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse at (202) 260-1023 or e-mail: ppic@epa.gov.