The legislation is called the ?EUR??,,????'??Green Buildings?EUR??,,????'?? bill, and would make the county one of the most environmentally clean metropolitan areas in the nation.

The council?EUR??,,????'???s Transportation and Environment Committee has begun working out the details of the bill that could take effect in a year and would apply to new and public buildings of 10,000 square feet or more.

It encourages the installation of low-flush toilets, plant-covered roofs and recycling centers among other eco-friendly facilities that could be seen in new developments.

As a reward for complying with the legislation reduced building fees and energy tax rebates will be given.

One of the first examples of Green Buildings leadership can be seen in the renovation of the five-year-old Tower Building in Rockville, Md. The 10-story building features windows that minimize the amount of heat that enter, an air filtration system that removes toxins and electricity generated by windmills on Backbone Mountain in West Virginia.

Currently, buildings consume 68 percent of the area?EUR??,,????'???s electricity, and this building is the first step in consuming a lot less.