NRDC: No Breathing in the Aisles: Diesel Exhaust Inside School ...

CHAPTER 8
LOCAL AIR QUALITY
AGENCIES CAN ADOPT FLEET
RULES REQUIRING SCHOOL
DISTRICTS TO PURCHASE
ONLY CLEAN ALTERNATIVE
FUEL BUSES
Currently there are no local, state, or federal laws requiring school districts or private
school bus contractors to purchase cleaner, alternative fuel school buses instead of
diesel buses. That could soon change, however, if a rule proposed by the South
Coast Air Quality Management District in California (SCAQMD) is adopted in April, 2001.
The proposed rule would require all school districts and private school bus contractors operating
in California’s South Coast Air Basin—which includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside
and San Bernardino Counties—to purchase only cleaner, alternative fuel buses. The proposed
r ule wo u ld n o t fo rce s ch o ol d is tricts to co n vert th eir existing f leets all at o n ce, b ut r ath er w o uld
apply as new buses are purchased according to the fleet operator’s own schedule. This would
ensure that school districts are not overly taxed financially. In addition, school districts would
not be required to purchase an alternative fuel bus if local, state, or federal funding is not
available to cover the incremental cost. There is an expectation, however, that, as discussed in
Chapter 7, there will be sufficient funding to ensure that this contingency is satisfied. In the
case where no funding is available, the school district would be required to place a particulate
trap on a new diesel bus. We support the SCAQMD proposed rule and urge other air quality
agencies around the country to adopt similar rules to protect their children’s health.
While EPA has adopted new standards for heavy-duty trucks and buses that, when fully
implemented by 2010, will substantially reduce the public’s exposure to diesel exhaust in
California and across the country, an alternative fuel school bus approach is necessary for the
following reasons: (1) to ensure that children are protected prior to 2010, and (2) because the
EPA rule focuses only on NOx and PM, and the cleaner diesel engines have not been tested to
ensure that toxic emissions have been sufficiently reduced. Thus, while we strongly support
EPA’s rules, including tighter standards and cleaner diesel fuel, it is imperative that EPA and
state and local air quality agencies encourage engine makers to achieve these essential NOx
reductions sooner, create incentives for inherently clean alternative fuels and advanced
technologies, and develop a comprehensive program of real-world emissions guarantees.
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