ATLANTA, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) is proud to announce the approval and publication of its "ANSI / GREENGUARD Environmental Institute Mold and Moisture Management Standard for New Construction (ANSI / GEI - MMS1001)" by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This important national standard is the first to focus solely on mold and moisture issues that can arise in the construction of new buildings. Moisture, and in turn mold, can ruin indoor environmental quality, compromise building materials and building systems and cost thousands of dollars to fix. Preventing these risks protect financial investments while preserving the structural integrity and air quality of the building. The standard details design, construction and maintenance practices for preventing the harmful growth of mold. "We are very excited to bring such a valuable resource to the building industry," stated Henning Bloech, Executive Director of GEI. "With mold and moisture issues negatively impacting so many buildings and building occupants, we recognized a need for a consensus-developed standard to address this devastating problem. We applaud and thank the Consensus Board and numerous Public Commenters who helped us develop and craft this standard over the past two years." To ensure the standard was developed with comprehensive construction expertise the Consensus Board, which first met on March 13, 2007, was comprised of professionals from diverse backgrounds including architecture, academia, commercial construction, finance, legal, insurance, engineering, home building and building science professions. As part of the ANSI process, the standard was opened for public comment by all interested stakeholders. These comments were valuable in developing the most robust, yet practical national guidance on this important issue. Receiving ANSI approval validates the standard and ensures it will be a valuable resource for the marketplace. An electronic or hard copy version of the standard is available for purchase at http://www.greenguard.org/Default.aspx?tabid=115. About GEI Founded in 2001, GEI is a third-party organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification Program(SM). The Institute's mission is to protect human health and quality of life through programs that improve indoor air that people breathe. As an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer, GEI establishes acceptable indoor air standards for building materials, interior products, electronic equipment, indoor environments and buildings. GREENGUARD Certified products must meet stringent, third-party standards for low chemical emissions based on established health standards and undergo rigorous testing and verification processes on a regular basis. GREENGUARD Certification is broadly recognized and accepted by a number of 'green' building programs, including the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED(R) program. An online guide of GREENGUARD Certified products is available at no charge at www.greenguard.org.
