Marysville Joint Unified School District to reduce school bus pollution [April 2004] The State's Lower-Emission School Bus Program offers state funds to reduce school bus pollution levels . Diesel soot was designated a California Toxic Air Contaminant back in 1998 and plans have been underway since to address this concern. The ARB approved guidelines in 2001 to implement this program for purchasing new, lower-emitting school buses, and for retrofitting buses with particulate filters to reduce particulate emissions. The program will fund the purchase of about 350 new buses and 2000 particulate filters for diesel school buses throughout California. The program will introduce new engine and aftertreatment technology as well as cleaner fuels. The Marysville Joint Unified School District (MJUSD) and air district staff have solicited bids from filter manufactures and installers to retrofit  8 to 14 school buses that may qualify for the program. Only certain bus designs and engine model years qualify for the add-on technology. The diesel particulate filters are designed to reduce particulate matter emissions (diesel soot) by 85% or more. According to the State Air Resources Board diesel soot from internal combustion engines contains carcinogens and other toxic air contaminants that may impact the health of school-aged children utilizing the school buses. A. Teichert & Son, Inc., a local construction aggregate operation, has contributed funds to aid in the purchase and installation of a larger diesel fuel tank at the MJUSD bus yard to help reduce fuel delivery costs. In addition, the filters require the use of the new low-sulfur diesel fuel which costs more than conventional diesel fuel and Teichert has offered to offset the difference in fuel costs until the low-sulfur diesel fuel becomes the new standard diesel fuel slated for sometime in 2006. Related Topics: The Children's School Bus Exposure Study Children's exposures to pollutants during school bus commuting and simple steps schools can take to reduce exposures. Children's Environmental Health Protection Program In 1999, Senate Bill 25 established a mandate to study the impacts of air pollution on children's health throughout California. The ARB is committed to meeting and exceeding these requirements and is implementing a number of new activities to evaluate and reduce children's health risks. Also, School Health. School Bus Idling and Idling at Schools The California Air Resources Board has approved an airborne toxic control measure (ATCM) that limits school bus idling and idling at or near schools to only when necessary for safety or operational concerns. Yuba City Unified School District gets lower-emission school buses YCUSD has obtained nine compressed natural gas (CNG) clean-powered school buses to replace aging diesel polluters in their fleets. The school district benefited from funds received through the California Energy Commission (CEC) toward replacing old diesel polluters with lower-polluting CNG school buses throughout the state. The Lower-Emission School Bus Program, run by the California Air Resources Board, is part of a $50-million project to replace aging buses. More than 44-percent of school buses in California are at least 13 years old, and 12 percent are more than 23 years old. YCUSD received two compressed natural gas school buses from the CEC valued at $254,904. YCUSD also received incentive grant awards from the Feather River AQMD toward the purchase of seven new compressed natural gas school buses and a CNG fueling station, bringing the total to nine new CNG buses. The CNG school buses and fueling station are the first in Sutter County.

California's Diesel Risk Reduction Plan The Air Resources Board (ARB or Board) identified particulate emissions from diesel-fueled engines (diesel PM) as toxic air contaminants (TACs) in August 1998. Following the identification process, the ARB was required by law to determine if there is a need for further control, which moved ARB to develop a risk management guidance document and a risk reduction plan.

Diesel Fuel Program All diesel fuel sold in California must meet pollution-cutting specifications established by the California Air Resources Board (ARB). These specifications ensure that California diesel fuel is the cleanest-burning diesel in the United States. ARB’s diesel-fuel regulations were adopted in 1988 and took effect in 1993. [Related: Green Diesel Technology]

Biodiesel Offers Fleets a Better Alternative to Petroleum Diesel Biodiesel is a domestically produced, renewable fuel that can be used in unmodified diesel engines with the current fueling infrastructure. It is safe, biodegradable, and reduces serious air pollutants such as soot, particulates, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and air toxics. Performance, storage requirements, and maintenance are similar for biodiesel blend fuels and petroleum diesel. More ... http://www.afdc.nrel.gov/pdfs/Biodiesel_fs.pdf Additional Web Sites: U. S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center http://www.afdc.nrel.gov/

Buyer's Guide to Cleaner Cars Cleaner cars mean cleaner air! When shopping for a new or used vehicle keep in mind that while all California cars have advanced emission control systems, many newer vehicles are designed to produce even lower levels of emissions. These vehicles are called "Low-Emission Vehicles" and the following guide can help quickly identify them.

Rice Straw Burning The Connelly-Areias-Chandler Rice Straw Burning Reduction Act of 1991 (the Act) mandates that rice straw burning in the Sacramento Valley be phased down starting in 1992 and, starting September 2001, allowed only under specified conditions for disease control.

California Air Toxics Program The California Air Toxics Program establishes the process for the identification and control of toxic air contaminants and includes provisions to make the public aware of significant toxic exposures and for reducing risk.

Methyl Bromide - EPA Phase Out Methyl bromide is registered as a fumigant. It is used for pre-plant soil sterilization, for the control of soil-borne fungi, insects, and nematodes, for controlling miscellaneous arthropods (sow-bugs, spiders, millipedes), annual and perennial grasses and broadleaf weeds, in a variety of pre-plant agricultural settings. It is also registered as a fumigant/insecticide for sterilization of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, ornamental plants, storage tanks and areas, food processing plants, and dried fruit producing plants. Scientific assessments conducted by atmospheric scientists indicate that methyl bromide contributes significantly to the destruction of earth's stratospheric ozone layer. Visit the EPA Methyl Bromide web page for the latest information.

Ozone Generators that are Sold as Air Cleaners: An Assessment of Effectiveness and Health Consequences There is a large body of written material on ozone and the use of ozone indoors. However, much of this material makes claims or draws conclusions without substantiation and sound science. In developing Ozone Generators that are Sold as Air Cleaners, the EPA reviewed a wide assortment of this literature, including information provided by a leading manufacturer of ozone generating devices. In keeping with EPA's policy of insuring that the information it provides is based on sound science, only peer reviewed, scientifically supported findings and conclusions were relied upon in developing this document.