12/04/2009
The
federal stimulus package approved this year earmarked roughly $6
million to the cause of cleaning up the nation's aging fleet of school
buses. Researchers have linked diesel exhaust from older buses with
asthma, heart disease and cancer, and studies have found that pollution
inside the buses can be worse than levels found outside on the street.
To help cut down on this pollution, the EPA has established goals to fuel them with cleaner-burning fuels, eliminate
unnecessary idling, update buses with better emission controls, and to
replace the oldest buses in the fleet with new, cleaner models.
Overall, the stimulus allotted the National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) a total of $300
million. Of that, the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program
received $156 million to fund competitive grants across the nation. The
stimulus package also included $20 million for the National Clean
Diesel Emerging Technology Program grants and $30 million for the
SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program grants.
Some of the school bus upgrade programs include:
· School buses in St. Louis, Mo.,
are being retrofitted with crankcase ventilation filters to capture
diesel emissions and keep pollution out of passenger cabins.
· In
South Dakota and Mississippi, older buses are being replaced with
cleaner models, while others are being fitted with new heaters to
reduce toxic emissions and conserve fuel.
· In
Michigan, eight neighboring districts are receiving two hybrid electric
buses and 10 new buses that meet 2010 emission standards, while another
41 buses are being retrofitted with particulate filters and closed
crankcase controls.
· In
San Diego, all but 7 of the 519 buses serving the city's unified school
district have been retrofitted with advanced diesel particulate
filtration.
· The
National School Transportation Association received $2.4 million over
the summer to replace 98 older buses in Wisconsin and install 26 new
heaters on buses in four districts Minnesota.