Joe,
There is nothing in the two sections that you cited that says you can't use green for the grounding electrode conductor. The wording in 250.119 requires the use of green for equipment grounding conductors, but does not forbid its use for the grounding electrode conductor. There is no wording in the NEC that reserves green for equipment grounding only. While 310.12(C) can be cited to prevent the use of green for an ungrounded conductor, it can't be cited to say that green can't be used for the GEC. If the grounding electrode conductor can be any color except white, gray or green, how can we comply with 310.12(C)??? The grounding electrode conductor is a grounding conductor. I think that you can make a better case, that the GEC must be green by citing 310.12(C), then you can by citing 250.19 and 310.12 to say that the GEC can't be green.
Yes, there was a proposal and panel statement, an inspector must cite a section, not an panel comment, on the violation notice. There is not a code section in the 2002 code that prevents the use of green for the grounding electrode conductor.
250.119 Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors.
Unless required elsewhere in this Code, equipment grounding conductors shall be permitted to be bare, covered, or insulated. Individually covered or insulated equipment grounding conductors shall have a continuous outer finish that is either green or green with one or more yellow stripes except as permitted in this section.
310.12 Conductor Identification.
(A) Grounded Conductors. Insulated or covered grounded conductors shall be identified in accordance with 200.6.
(B) Equipment Grounding Conductors. Equipment grounding conductors shall be in accordance with 250.119.
(C) Ungrounded Conductors. Conductors that are intended for use as ungrounded conductors, whether used as a single conductor or in multiconductor cables, shall be finished to be clearly distinguishable from grounded and grounding conductors. Distinguishing markings shall not conflict in any manner with the surface markings required by 310.11(B)(1).
The wording in the two sections quoted above is clearly different than the wording in 200.7 that reserves the use of white or gray for the grounded conductor. If green is to be exclusively for the equipment grounding conductor, and not for the grounding electrode conductor, then the code must be changed.
200.7 Use of Insulation of a White or Gray Color or with Three Continuous White Stripes.
(A) General. The following shall be used only for the grounded circuit conductor, unless otherwise permitted in 200.7(B) and (C):
(1) A conductor with continuous white or gray covering
(2) A conductor with three continuous white stripes on other than green insulation
(3) A marking of white or gray color at the termination
Don
