Jump to full article: AP, 2008-06-25
Author: JOHN FLESHER Associated Press Writer AP Photo/John Russell Buy AP Photo Reprints Your Questions Answered
Intro: Even in an industry closely identified with devil-may-care gluttony, going green makes business sense as consumers increasingly demand sustainable products and services . . .
The trend is reaching even casinos in Las Vegas, long criticized by environmentalists for its extravagant use of natural resources.
In April, the Palazzo Las Vegas resort became the world's largest building project to receive a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certificate from the U.S. Green Building Council. . . .
Casinos typically face a big obstacle to LEED certification: the need to satisfy customers who smoke. LEED requires separate smoking areas and systems to contain and remove smoke and monitor air quality, said Ashley Katz, spokeswoman for the green building council.
Absher said those requirements make the casino the only section of the 76-acre, mixed-use CityCenter project that MGM doesn't expect will qualify for LEED certification, despite the casino's other sustainable features.
"We will meet all the other standards," he said. "But we cannot overcome this. Smoking is something that is very important to our customer base at this point."
It's especially hard to limit tobacco use in a tribal casino, given its iconic status in American Indian culture. But Turtle Creek developers tried to do the next best thing by installing a purifying system.
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