Richland Community College owns and operates buildings and grounds that are operated and maintained in accordance with sustainable operation and maintenance guidelines and policies that cover the following:

•Impacts on the surrounding site

•Energy consumption

•Usage of environmentally preferable materials

•Indoor environmental quality

•Water consumption

•Grounds and landscape management

Richland ensures compliance with sustainable building operation and maintenance guidelines and policies by following the U.S. Green Building Council Guidelines. Richland's Center for Sustainability and Innovation building was built following U.S. Green Building Council guidelines and is LEED Platinum Certified.

Richland landscape management includes the following priorities:

•Use environmentally friendly pest management

•Protect new and existing vegetationusing native and ecologically appropriate plants, and controlling and managing invasive species

•Use soil management practices that limits the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemicals

•Utilize reused, recycled, and locally produced landscape materials when possible

•Maintain natural hydrology by monitoring water infiltration and on-site water management

•Compost and/or mulch waste from grounds-keeping activities

•Use snow and ice removalstrategies to reduce environmental impacts of chemicals/treating agents

Specific practices include:

•Native Plants

Richland landscapes with native species including prairie grass, flowers, and trees that are native to Central Illinois.

•Wildlife Habitat

Richland maintains a 5 acre natural prairie grass area for local species of wildlife on campus.

•Xeriscaping

Native grasses are drought tolerant and native species are used where possible for xeriscaping.

•Compost

Richland uses a mulching mower to mow the campus grounds. All trimmings and tree limbs are put in a compost bin located on campus grounds.

•Snow and Ice Removal

Richland uses sand via a sprayer on all parking lots and roadways on campus during snow/ice events. "Winter Blue" Ice Melt (visible ice melt) is used only on sidewalks and entryways for safety purposes

•Stormwater Management

  • Campus has rain gardens for parking lots that collect run-off from storm water which can be regulated to control erosion, and detention ponds and managed bio-swales to control run-off for newly constructed buildings.
  • Several campus buildings have pervious pavements.
  • Stone swale is recycled concrete material (rip-rap) to control run-off from buildings and parking lots.
  • Detention areas use native vegetation to absorb water.
  • Certain areas of campus have block chutes and stone flumes to help control stormwater run-off.