Massachusetts hospital projects may need green seal

Hospital and nursing home building projects would have to be environmentally friendly to win state approval under sweeping regulations proposed by Massachusetts health authorities. If the measure is endorsed by the state Public Health Council this fall, Massachusetts would become the first state to tie approval of healthcare construction to green standards increasingly adopted by office builders. Three of the biggest hospital expansions in New England have already embraced green construction standards, such as incorporating foliage on roofs and floors that eliminate the need for noxious cleaning solvents.