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News


School Districts Weigh Passenger Comfort, Idling Regulations in Cold Winter Weather


WRITTEN BY DEBBIE CURTIS


R


educing idling is one of the easiest ways to reduce school bus emissions. According to the En- vironmental Protection Agency,


petroleum diesel exhaust particulates have been linked to increased asthma attacks, and heart and lung problems, especially in young children whose lungs are not fully developed. Reduced idling and biodiesel are two solutions that help minimize chil- dren’s exposure to these particles. A study done at Edinburgh University


last year showed that diesel exhaust contains nanoparticles which can work their way from the lungs into the bloodstream. Tese particles can stay in the body for months, and can build up in fatty tissues. “Research has shown that students on school buses are exposed to 5 to 15 times the levels of particulate pollution than at nearby monitoring sites,” claims


the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MCPA). Since 2005, it has worked with school districts and fleet operators along with Clean Air Minnesota’s Project Green Fleet to retrofit buses with diesel oxidation catalysts and closed-crankcase filtration systems to remove dangerous particulates from exhaust. Buses running on biodiesel produce far less particulate matter, since biodiesel is the biofuel with the lowest net greenhouse gas emissions. Te Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) was part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. In January 2011, President Obama reauthorizied DERA through fiscal year 2016, allowing the EPA to offer rebates as well as grants. Te EPA’s Clean School Bus program encourages retrofitting of older buses, and new buses must meet the EPA’s tougher emission standards. Te three national school bus associations are


22 School Transportation News • OCTOBER 2017


among 44 organizations currently lobbying Congress to reauthorize DERA once again, and to oppose an amendment that would cut the budget, entirely. Idling laws vary considerably across the nation. Some states, such as Alabama and Alaska, have no restrictions on how long school buses may idle. Others increase idling times depending on the temperature, while states such as New York limit idling to three minutes no matter how cold it is. Indiana’s policy states schools shall adopt and enforce a written policy to address any idling vehicles on school grounds. “Tis policy shall be modeled after the state department’s manual of best practices for managing indoor air quality in schools,” the statement continues. “Tis policy shall be available for the state inspector’s review.” Arizona has a voluntary School Bus Idling Reduction Program, but drivers


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