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MPI Announces Green Performance Standard

Posted on: Saturday, 8 October 2005, 03:01 CDT

By Anonymous

The Master Painters Institute recently announced the release of its MPI Green Performance Standard for paints and coatings. The standard will be designated GPS-1-05. It is designed to provide a comprehensive fit with U.S. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) 2.1 and 2.2. LEED Canada NC 1.0, and Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) requirements and regulations while providing for performance as a factor in the sustainability equation. The standard provides for a centralized database of those products deemed to meet performance requirements, banned chemical list requirements, and maximum allowable VOC limits presently in place and those now planned for the future.

The state of Massachusetts defines sustainability as follows:

"Sustainable development is the process of conducting business and commerce in a resource-conservative and resource-efficient manner such that operations do not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The essential elements of this trend are the promotion and maintenance of business and community development strategies that lead to a better business environment in the future; one sustained by stable, healthful communities within a clean, safe environment. The operative concept underlying this growing trend is an emphasis on fostering community and business activity that is driven by long-range goals, often met through pollution prevention."

Sustainability? Here's the existing framework the new standard is designed to unify:

* LEED U.S. (Version 2.1) simply provides a maximum of allowable VOCs in two coating categories, flat and non-flat.

* LEED Canada (Version 1.0) provides the same, plus certain categories with differing maximum allowable VOCs as defined by South Coast Air Quality Management District Rule 1113 at November, 19% levels.

* The latest draft of LEED (Version 2.2) suggests that it will adopt Version 2.1 plus certain categories with differing maximum allowable VOCs as defined by Rule 1113, but as of January, 2004.

* Against this background of differing "encouraged" levels from LEED are regulators in the 13 northeastern OTC states who vowed to adopt a model rule based upon that of CARB. A few of those states have issued regulations, others have not (see page 26).

* To the mix, add the Canada Green Building Council and Environment Canada, which are actively reviewing the OTC recommendations and may consider their adoption as an alternate compliance path for LEED Canada NC 1.0 Indoor Environmental Quality Credit 4.2, and for future changes to the credit as LEED Canada evolves.

* In none of the regulated references are provisions for paint performance-i.e., whether the paint lasts for one year or more-of apparent importance to drafters of such regulations.

The MPI standard was developed to attempt to coordinate where various U.S. and Canadian regulatory authorities presently or will shortly stand, while factoring in performance. The patchwork of present environmental regulations is not only lacking in efficient uniformity, but, of utmost concern to the painting contractor, rarely if ever is product performance, durability, or duty cycle taken into consideration. Even the initiatives of the U.S. and Canada Green Building Councils (LEED and LEED Canada) do not seriously consider performance in environmental sustainability issues.

"Environmental friendliness without sustainability only looks good," said MPI President Barry Law. "By definition, this suggests that paint, not unlike that used by Tom Sawyer on the fence, might be environmentally friendly at a 'snapshot' in time, but couldn't be said to be sustainable, as it may well need to be redone this spring and every spring hereafter."

MPI is an institute dedicated to the establishment of quality standards and quality assurance in the painting and coating application industries in the LJ.S and Canada, and provider of PDCA's technical services. Its standards replaced the discontinued U.S. Federal Paint Specifications maintained by the Government Services Administration in 2001, and are referenced by name in the most significant U.S. and Canadian government guide specifications, as well as by thousands of commercial and institutional facility owners and managers, and by architects and specification writers throughout North America.

The standard itself and a database of paint products meeting the standard are available on either www.paintinfo.com or www.specifygreen.com. For more information, contact Barry Law at 888/ 674-8937, or bgl@mpi.net.

The standard was developed to attempt to coordinate where various regulatory authorities presently or will shortly stand, while factoring in performance.

Copyright Finan Publishing Company, Inc. Sep/Oct 2005

Source: Painting & Wallcovering Contractor

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