Texas Receives $700,000 to Cut School Bus Pollution

March 2004

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) $700,000 in October 2003 to help reduce school bus pollution in three of the state's urban centers. The SECO award is one of a series of grants totaling $5 million that the EPA issued in 2003 under Clean School Bus USA.

Federal law mandates that pollution controls be installed on all school bus diesel engines built in 2004 and later. In addition, federal regulations require cleaner engines for all school buses that begin operating in 2007. Buses that are already in use, however, are not regulated by these standards. These buses, which will be operating for years to come, emit the most pollution and are the focus of the Clean School Bus USA initiative.

"The program is aimed at reducing people's exposure to pollution from diesel school buses, particularly children, who are especially vulnerable to respiratory problems," said Mary-Jo Rowan, SECO grant manager. "We want to reduce this type of pollution in three ways: eliminate unnecessary school bus idling, retrofit buses with better emission control devices or with cleaner fuels, and finally, we want to replace older school buses with new buses that pollute less."

The program brings together partners from business, education, transportation, and public health organizations to work toward its goals.