State Senator Bill Finch
March 22, 2007
Finch, Williams Tout New Program to Remove Diesel Fumes From School Buses
‘School Bus Emissions Reduction Program’ will protect the health of Connecticut’s school children
Senator Finch announces a new program to remove diesel emissions from school buses in Connecticut. On their twice-daily trips to and from school, children are exposed to levels of diesel exhaust that can be 5 to 10 times greater than normal when emissions from engines enter the bus cabin. (March 22, 2006)
State Senate President Pro Tempore Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) and state Senator Bill Finch (D-Bridgeport), co-chair of the legislature's Environment Committee, today announced a new program designed to remove diesel emissions from the cabins of school buses in Connecticut. The senators were joined by representatives of the Connecticut Alliance Against Diesel Pollution in announcing the School Bus Emissions Reduction Program.
"We always do everything we can to protect the health and welfare of our children," said Sen. Williams. "It only makes sense that we make the investment to be sure they are free as possible from exposure from this harmful pollutant."
As of 2007, under federal law, new buses must equipped by the manufacturer with the best available technology to keep diesel fumes from entering the cabin of the bus where children are exposed. "Unfortunately, though, the vast majority of school buses carrying our children will be 2006 model year or older for a long, long time," Sen. Williams said.
Under legislation passed by the Environment Committee, $11 million will be made available from the state budget surplus to retrofit with filters every large yellow school bus on Connecticut roads as of September 1, 2010. It also establishes a "School Bus Emissions Reduction Program" to provide grants to municipalities and school boards to reimburse them for the retrofits.
"We cannot put a price on the health of our children," said Sen. Finch. "Connecticut has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the country. For a small investment, we can help to ensure that our school buses are properly fitted with these filters and that our children are not knowingly exposed to diesel fumes that are known to have significant and highly negative impact on children's health."
AN ACT REDUCING DIESEL EMISSIONS IN SCHOOL BUS CABINS (SB 1032)
- Provides $11 million from the surplus, which should be enough to retrofit every large yellow school bus on Connecticut roads as of September 1, 2010 (Ie. this is not a state mandate, as the bill is fully funded).
- Requires the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish a "School Bus Emissions Reduction Program" to provide grants to municipalities and school boards to reimburse them for the retrofits, and the department to work closely with municipalities and school boards to assist them.
Mandates that the state Department of Administrative Services (DAS) develop statewide procurement contracts for filters and their installation. This way, towns will be relieved of the burden of negotiating on their own with vendors, and because DAS will be bidding out all 3400 buses at once, the prices should be much lower than if each town acted alone.
There are three levels of tailpipe filters-levels 1, 2 and 3. Three's eliminate 90% of the tailpipe emissions and are at least twice as expensive. Unfortunately, only buses with 2003-2006 model year engines can operate normally with those filters. There will be over 900 of these buses on the road as of 2010. SB 1032 pays for these much rarer, advanced filters for every model year 2003-2006 bus.
The amount of grants are: $5000 per bus that are 2003-2006 and must have level 3 filters; $2500 per bus that can take level 2 filters, and $1250 per bus that can take level 1 filters.
Finally, towns are only mandated to do these retrofits if the DEP grants fully pay for them (which under the DAS procurement contract should occur). If not, then DEP still will do the program, assist towns all the way, and use the funding to pay virtually the entire cost of the retrofits.
Download the Connecticut Clean Cars Alliance's statement on the proposed school bus legislation
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