As many in the industry are aware, Maryland became the first state to fully adopt the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) when Governor Martin O’Malley signed HB 972, effective March 1, 2012. In response to our IGCC blog post on this issue, authored by Lane Kelman, readers raised a multitude of questions that highlight a vast amount of confusion regarding the legislation. The questions range from the impact on the construction industry to the interpretation and application of the House Bill. A number of the issues that have been raised necessarily call into question the clarity of the legislation and, in turn, create legal issues. Some of the questions that have been raised are:
- What does the adoption of the IGCC mean for Maryland in the short and long term?
- Does House Bill 972 give a Local Maryland Jurisdiction the alternative of adopting the IGCC in addition to the Maryland Building Performance Standards?
- If a Local Maryland Jurisdiction adopts the IGCC, is compliance mandatory?
- What does the legislation mean for developers and contractors?
- Is Maryland’s HB reflective of a national trend?
- Look for upcoming Blog posts on this important issue.
We will continue to report on the answers to these questions as the answers are clarified in the legislation. In the meantime, please contact Lane Kelman or Jennifer Horn with questions.