The Mechanical Contractors Association of Chicago has formed a steering committee to accomplish green building goals.

The committee will make recommendations to the association on what contractors need to know about green building, and suggest methods for sharing that information.

In October 2007, MCA Chicago created and hosted a green-building Webinar that gave an overview of what the term means and how contractors can become involved in it. The presentation has been made a permanent fixture on MCA’s Web site, www.mca.org.

“Webinars are an exciting and extremely convenient educational tool,” said Dan Bulley, senior vice president of MCA Chicago. “Our green-building Webinar had registrants from across the country, and we look forward to offering more green-building learning opportunities in the months and years to come.”

A new green-building educational endeavor is already under way. MCA Chicago represents contractors who have agreements with United Association union Local 597, and Nov. 5 and 6, the union held a two-day green-awareness course at its training center in Mokena, Ill.

The course, developed by the United Association with support from the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, and Mechanical Service Contractors of America, was conducted right before the 2007 Nov. 7-9 Greenbuild convention at McCormick Place in Chicago.

In 2008, MCA Chicago says it will finalize the “greening” of its own operation.

“We have closed on a building in Burr Ridge, Ill., and it will have a gold-LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating,” Bulley said.