Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne recently cut the ribbon opening a new green roof that has been planted on the third wing of the Main Interior Building in Washington, D.C.
"What more suitable place for a green roof than the headquarters of America's conservation department in Washington, D.C.?" Kempthorne asked. "With more than half of Washington, D.C., covered with paved or constructed surfaces that do not allow water to infiltrate the ground, 75 percent of rainfall becomes runoff. The vegetation and soil on the green roof will absorb rainwater and curb runoff."
The city has a enormous problem with storm water runoff and sewer overflows. Each year, at least 1 billion gal of raw sewage are discharged into the Potomac River, Anacostia River and Rock Creek--all tributaries of the fragile Chesapeake Bay watershed.
The green roof on the Main Interior Building will help ease this problem by holding up to .7 in. of rainfall to reduce storm water runoff entering the sewage system. The green roof also will improve water quality by neutralizing the effects of acid rain and filtering pollution from rain and snow, among various other environmental benefits.
The green roof project started more than seven years ago, when Mike Cyr, the National Business Center's chief of the Division of Facilities Management Services, read an article on the benefits of green roofs in Europe. Although green roofs were not commonplace at the time, Cyr decided to explore the possibility of installing one on the Main Interior Building.
National Business Center personnel worked with in-house technical experts in the Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance. The group started by applying for and receiving free technical assistance from the Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program via the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The feasibility study confirmed a green roof would work on the Main Interior Building within specified limitations.
The group also partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the General Services Administration to work through the contracting process to find a green roofing company. The roof was installed by Roofscapes Inc., Phildelphia, the award-winning company that installed the famous green roof on Chicago City Hall.
Source: Environment News Service
