News Articles & Press Releases Regarding MAS Certified Green™       upcoming shows & conferences     BIFMA Leadership Meeting January 28-30, 2009 Las Vegas, NV Business and Industrial Furniture Manufactures Association www.bifma.org Intro to CHPS - Conference Call/Webinar February 4, 2009 Collaborative for High Performance Schools. For more information, call (415) 957-9888 (2-3pm EST) www.chps.net ASC Spring Convention & Expo April 5-8, 2009 Austin, TX Adhesive and Sealant Council www.ascouncil.org NAHB National Green Building Conference May 8-10, 2009 Dallas, TX National Association of Home Builders www.nahb.org/conference NeoCon World's Trade Fair June 15-17, 2009 Chicago IL Visit MAS Certified Green at booth #8-3139D www.neocon.com Greenbuild International Conference & Expo November 11-13, 2009 Phoenix, AZ United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Visit MAS Certified Green at booth #0000 www.greenbuildexpo.org IWF 2010 August 25-28, 2010 Atlanta, GA International Woodworking Federation www.iwfatlanta.com       Certified Green News CARB Rules Take Effect for Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products The California Air Resources Board’s (ARB) Composite Wood Air Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) was written into state law in April. The first emission standards will be implemented on January 1, 2009. This law is designed to reduce formaldehyde emissions from all composite wood products sold or produced for use in California.   No-Added Formaldehyde (NAF) and Ultra Low Emitting Formaldehyde Resins (ULEF) option for CARB Compliance The Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) to control formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products was approved on April 18, 2008, by the Office of Administrative Law. The regulation has been filed with the Secretary of State and is codified into Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, and is now effective.   State of California Adopts Statewide Green Building Code On July 17, 2008 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the adoption of a first-in-nation statewide green building code. The new Building Standards Commission code specifies requirements for all new construction and renovation in the state.   LEED® 2009 - The Next Generation of Sustainable Building The United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is on the forefront of green building and many people look to this rating system for guidance, as more than 3.5 billion square feet of building projects (10,000 individual projects) are registered to seek LEED certification.   LEED AP Credential Program Overhauled About 65,000 people have become LEED Accredited Professionals (LEED APs) since the program began in 2000 as a way to recognize experts in the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC's) LEED Rating System. In November 2008 at the Greenbuild conference, the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), the organization that administers the LEED AP credential, announced substantial revisions to the program.   Underwriters Laboratories to Validate Environmental Claims Extending its mission of product safety from people to the environment, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) will offer manufacturers two new programs to test and certify environmental product claims. Set to launch in January 2009, the Environmental Claims Validation (ECV) program will test and assess environmental product claims, and a second program will certify products to environmental standards.