The Clean Construction Policy Resolution

STUDENT GOVERNMENT OF LOYOLA CHICAGO OF LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO

MEASURE OF THE SENATE Clean Construction Policy To implement a Clean Construction policy on Loyola’s campuses. ______ - ______ - ______ to be filed by the Secretary of the Senate

Signed by the President of the Unified Student Government Association

Chiefly Sponsored By: Riddhi Shah Co-Sponsored By: Facilities and Transportation Committee

Clean Construction Policy To adopt a clean construction policy on Loyola’s campuses to protect students, faculty, staff, the surrounding community, construction workers, and our environment.

Whereas, the Environmental Protection Agency, hereafter referred to as EPA, estimates that construction is responsible for 37% of land-based particulate diesel matter, and Whereas, diesel particulate matter can cause an increase in rates of asthma, heart disease, and lung cancer, and Whereas, diesel exhaust is responsible for the majority of our nation’s emissions of black carbon, a highly potent climate-warming agent, and Whereas, according to the EPA, a diesel particulate filter (DPF) can reduce diesel particulate matter by more than 90%, and Whereas, all construction equipment designated as “Tier 4” by the EPA must also reduce particulate matter by more than 90%, and Whereas, a Clean Construction policy would require a DPF on all construction equipment used at the university that is not Tier 4, and Whereas, an anti-idling measure would require that all construction equipment cannot remain idle for more than 3 minutes at a time when not necessary, and Whereas, Loyola has already implemented this idling policy on the project at Maywood campus, and Whereas, a Clean Construction Policy would contractually require all future construction projects to use cleaner equipment and anti-idling measures, and Whereas, reducing pollution from construction is a great way to demonstrate being a good neighbor and a positive presence within the surrounding community, and Whereas, a Clean Construction Policy can help a project achieve the “Clean Construction” LEED credit, and Whereas, a similar policy adopted at other institutions have resulted in a marginal increase (less than 1%) in overall construction costs, and Whereas, a Clean Construction Policy would not have any effect on any current construction projects at the university, and Whereas, a Clean Construction Policy would not increase the amount of time required for a construction project to reach completion.

Therefore,

The Student Government of Loyola Chicago, hereafter known as the SGLC, encourages the administration at the university to adopt a Clean Construction Policy.