Golden 1 named a Clean Air Champion and achieves LEED Platinum certification

“During construction, the project remained under the allowable 85-pound-per-day nitrous oxide emission threshold,” explained Elina Zhuk, intern/field engineer. “The project also earned LEED Platinum certification, making it the greenest indoor arena in the world – and the first arena to achieve Platinum,” she added.

One of the most effective measures Turner took to reduce emissions during construction involved setting equipment standards for subcontractors and suppliers. “We told them they had to supply the jobsite with the latest and greatest make and model of each piece of equipment, whether it was a forklift, an excavator, a crane – you name it.” said Elina. “We also required low-emission diesel products, alternative fuels, engine retrofits, and after-treatment products, and dedicated a full-time engineer to record observations of on-site equipment.” She added that these requirements also led to subcontractors acquiring newer equipment for other jobsites in the Sacramento area, which in turn reduced their emissions and environmental impact on their other local projects.

“Turner’s strong stance and thorough vetting of equipment created an environment in which subs worked together to remain low in fleet emissions,” she added. “Prior to coming on site, each subcontractor met with Turner to discuss and calculate incoming equipment use, generating their assessments using Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD)’s construction mitigation calculator, which allowed us to show and record our emission reductions.”

Turner staff also recorded weekly visual observations of construction equipment exhaust stacks, emission estimates for on-road trucks used for hauling material, and provided a monthly air quality report to SMAQMD.