The new $59-million biotechnology center at the University of Rhode Island features an environmentally friendly window design that will save about $150,000 a year in energy costs.

The Providence Journal Bob Breidenbach

Environmental groups across the state hope that when the General Assembly meets this week it will vote on four bills on land conservation, mercury pollution, water conservation and green buildings that have already received broad support in both houses.

“The General Assembly had made great progress on several critical environmental bills before they recessed in June,” said July Lewis, vice president for policy for the Environmental Council of Rhode Island, an umbrella for state environmental groups.

Environmentalists will be lobbying for all four bills when the legislature convenes.

Also, they have scheduled a Clean Water Forum for Tuesday that will elaborate on water issues addressed in the drinking water bills that have passed both houses in identical form, but with different headings.

The water forum will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday in Room 4080 at the Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick.

Alisa Richardson, an engineer at the state Department of Environmental Management, will discuss water supplies and DEM’s efforts to address future needs and threats in specific watersheds.

Other speakers will be: Mark Smith, director of the Eastern Freshwater Program for The Nature Conservancy, who will provide an overview of water management throughout the Northeast; Kenneth Burke, general manager of the R.I. Water Resources Board, who will discuss the state’s water supply management goals and strategies; Jon Reiner, North Kingstown’s planning director, who will describe his town’s effort to manage its water future; and Meg Kerr, the watershed and community projects coordinator for the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, who will talk about the benefits of conservation and efficiency.

To register or for more information, contact Jane Austin at jaustin@savebay.org or (401) 272-3540, ext. 123.

The bills environmentalists are lobbying for include:

•The Mercury Thermostat Pollution Prevention Act requires thermostat manufacturers to pay for the collection and recycling of thermostats that contain mercury. The state banned the sale of mercury thermostats in 2005 and now needs a collection program for the half million mercury thermostats estimated to remain in state homes.

•The Conservation Easements and Land Trusts Act ensures that when a property with a conservation easement is sold, the terms of that easement are made clear to the buyer.

•The Green Buildings Act requires that all public buildings, including schools, be constructed to energy efficiency standards set by the U.S. Green Buildings Council. The measure goes beyond a similar executive order by Governor Carcieri for state buildings and would apply to any public building of any political subdivision in the state.

•The Water Use and Efficiency Act gives state agencies and water suppliers tools to promote water conservation and maintain infrastructure. It creates a new state water management plan that protects rivers and streams and meets the needs of farmers and water suppliers. The bill is the result of several years of work by business and environmental people, water suppliers, farmers and state and local officials.

All four bills above have passed at least in committees of both houses. Identical versions of the water bill passed in both the House and the Senate. But because there were two bills and each originated in a different house, they still need to pass a vote by the other house.

plord@projo.com