Environmental Leader

The New York Mets have teamed up with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement several environmental measures in Citi Field, which will open in 2009, MLB reports.

In separate news, Major League Baseball and the Natural Resources Defense Council announced the creation of a Team Greening Program to support and coordinate environmentally-sensitive practices in baseball.

The Mets $800 million structure is being built from approximately 95 percent recycled steel and at least 2 million pounds of recycled coal combustion products that will save more than 800 tons of carbon dioxide. The team’s administration building will feature a 15,000-square-foot “green roof.”

The stadium will also contain low-flow plumbing features that will save more than 4 million gallons of water per year. An on-site well to be used for irrigation, as well as a 3,700-square-foot drainage bed to control the flow of storm-water runoff. Recycling programs are also being put in place and additional train and bus service will be added for every home game in order to encourage fans to leave their cars at home.

Last week, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced a new green initiative dubbed Let’s Go Bucs. Let’s Go Green.

Last year, a solar electricity system was unveiled at the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park.