Citing the city of Richland, Washington, for "providing leadership for your colleagues around the U.S. and our global partners around the world," Code Council CEO Rick Weiland presented the "First in the Nation" plaque to Mayor John Fox and city officials for adopting the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) Public Version 1.0. "Your adoption of the IGCC as an optional guideline is the first action of its kind anywhere in the U.S.," Weiland said.

Several International Codes also were adopted by the city effective July 1. Richland adopted the IGCC as a non-mandatory document for commercial buildings. "With the city council's goals related to sustainability and green construction practices in the forefront, we looked into the ICC's public version of the IGCC," explained Building Inspection Supervisor Kevin Rex. "When we saw that it did not have to be a mandatory adoption, that we could use it as a document to help everyone become familiar with green construction, we decided to adopt it. Richland already has a well-coordinated residential green program through the Homebuilders Association."

"The Code Council has enjoyed a very good relationship with communities throughout Washington, working with you to promote public safety in a consistent manner that reflects ICC's consensus process of engaging experts to create enforceable codes that are usable everywhere," Weiland said.

The IGCC represents a coalition of organizations, composed of the Code Council, American Institute of Architects, ASTM International, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, U.S. Green Building Council and Illuminating Engineering Society.

Weiland also met with members of the Home Builders Association of the Tri-Cities to discuss the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) as well as the IGCC. Weiland said the IECC has been referenced by the U.S. Department of Energy as satisfying the requirements to qualify states for federal grants to promote adoption and enforcement of energy conservation measures. "The adoption of the IECC in Washington would assist in the effort to comply with U.S. DOE grant requirements," he said.