DEQ workshop focuses on green building in GRIC

January 10, 2017

Christopher Lomahquahu

Gila River Indian News

The Department of Environmental Quality Education and Outreach staff gave an update on green building to local tribes and the Environmental Protection Agency on Dec. 15.

Members of DEQ provided the overview of their progress in promoting green building at a special workshop session that concluded a year of work to research the viability of green building at Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona.

DEQ Education & Outreach Specialist Althea Walker and Intern Jay Johnson said the workshop and green building tool-kit project revealed that the Community is already a leader in green building.

“There are many projects that have already taken place or that are taking place in the Community,” said Walker.

One of the topics discussed was the possibility of having a green building resolution adopted by the Community that would continue the promotion of energy efficient homes in GRIC.

She said the workshop held at ITCA is for other tribes to reference in case they want to venture into green building.

The Director of the Development Center for Appropriate Technology David Eisenberg, who is based out of Tucson, consulted with the Community to help develop a green building tool-kit.

He said the progress made by GRIC provides a case example for other tribes to follow when considering going the green route.

Eisenberg said climate change presents a significant challenge to home building, because over time the climate conditions may be different from today.

Walker said collaboration with the EPA and Eisenberg could bolster the need for the development of further refined green building policies, which GRIC has demonstrated as a leader in tribal green building.

“DEQ will continue to champion in supporting green building in the Community and will help the Community progress in any way that we can,” she said.