Homebuilders to launch green council

by Kirby Lee Davis


The Journal Record November 25, 2009

TULSA – The Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa will launch its Green Building Council on Jan. 1, enabling both residential developers and homeowners to use more environmentally friendly products.

This effort dovetails with the National Association of Home Builders establishing its “green” building program, adopted by the American National Standards Institute for residential construction.

“I think it’s the coming thing,” said Phil Rhees of BMI Properties, who helped create the Tulsa council. He expects it to help advance construction of environmentally friendly homes in Oklahoma’s second-largest metro area. “I think we’re five years behind the national trends.”

Larry Cagle of Cagle Construction will preside over the 25-member Green Building Council, which will partner with the interest group Sustainable Tulsa to help educate people on recycled and environmentally friendly product and construction options, connecting them to contractors, suppliers and service companies.

Sustainable Tulsa unveiled its 2010 Tulsa Area Green Directory Tuesday to help fulfill that goal.

“There’s some things we can do that will be short term, and a lot of things we can do long term,” said Rhees. “We have to start somewhere.”


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