• Board Amends Landmark Clean School Bus Measure
• Board Amends Rules to Assist Siting of New Power Plants
• In Other Action

Southland students can look forward to riding low-pollution school buses that dramatically reduce unhealthful emissions under a landmark rule adopted today by AQMD's Governing Board.

The measure -- AQMD Rule 1195 Clean On Road School Buses – will gradually shift the region’s school bus fleet to clean-burning compressed natural gas and other clean technologies.

Emissions from the region’s 8,800 school buses, which run almost exclusively on diesel fuel, contain cancer-causing diesel soot. The buses also emit nitrogen oxides, which contribute to the region’s fine particulate and ozone pollution problems, both of which are associated with respiratory ailments.

"Today marks the start of a healthier future for our young people," said AQMD Chairman William Burke.

AQMD, he noted, has at least $16 million available this year to help schools purchase new alternative fuel school buses, plus several million dollars for installing alternative fueling stations. Moreover, he said, AQMD will work to secure additional funding in the years ahead.

Burke also noted, "Our young people deserve the best start we can provide, in both their environment and education."

Rule 1195 is the seventh and last in a series of AQMD measures designed to shift the region’s public service fleets from diesel to clean-burning alternative fuels. Previously adopted rules cover public transit buses, trash trucks, street sweepers, airport shuttles, taxis, and other vehicles, such as public works trucks.

AQMD’s clean fleet rules come after the agency’s landmark Multiple Air Toxics Exposure Study II found in 1999 that about 70% of the cancer risk from air pollution in the region is due to diesel particulate.

The fleet rules are intended to reduce emissions of toxic diesel soot and nitrogen oxides. By 2006, for instance, Rule 1195 will reduce emissions of diesel soot by 6 tons a year and of nitrogen oxides by 90 tons a year.

Under this school bus measure, beginning in 90 days schools and private bus fleet operators with fleets of 15 or more buses will buy alternative fuel models, typically powered by compressed natural gas, whenever they replace or add buses to their fleets.

However, the requirement only will apply to school districts if sufficient outside funding is available to cover the additional cost of an alternative fuel bus. The rule uses a tiered approach to requiring the purchase of the cleanest bus affordable, as follows:

• If schools cannot find outside funding for an alternative fuel bus, and $13,000 per bus for fueling infrastructure, they may purchase an intermediate-emission diesel bus; and
• If schools cannot find outside funding for an intermediate diesel bus, they may purchase a conventional diesel bus fitted with an approved particulate trap, if sufficient outside funding is available to cover the trap. In addition, to the extent that outside funding is available, fleet operators will retrofit at least 15% of their school bus fleets each year with particulate traps.

AQMD staff will develop a method for prioritizing available funding to school districts considering the severity of air pollution, community income level and other factors to maximize the health benefit.

AQMD also will develop a special enforcement policy for the rule placing an emphasis on assuring compliance and will not seek monetary penalties except for serious or repeat violations.

The Board adopted a measure that would increase the supply of particulate emission offsets to new and expanding power plants for the next three years.

State and federal laws require that all emission increases from new and modified sources be offset. Large sources typically offset emissions by purchasing emission reduction credits on the open market, but power plants are currently having difficulty finding PM₁₀ credits available.

Amended Rule 1309.1 -- Priority Reserve will allow power plants to purchase PM₁₀ emission reduction credits from AQMD's Priority Reserve for $25,000 per pound per day through 2003. Revenues from emission credits will be targeted to retrofitting the region's school buses with diesel particulate traps.

AQMD's Priority Reserve is an account of emission reduction credits previously available only to essential public service providers, such as publicly owned sewage treatment plants, as well as innovative technology and research projects.

The Board also amended Rule 1303 -- New Source Review Requirements and Rule 2005, New Source Review for RECLAIM, to allow new or modified facilities to increase their emissions if they are in an area meeting state and federal ambient air quality standards.

• Set the following public hearings for the May 11, 2001 Board meeting to:
  • Adopt proposed changes to the RECLAIM emissions reduction program to address the energy crisis and stabilize the price of emission trading credits;
  • Amend Regulation III -- Fees, which includes some adjustments in fees paid by businesses;
  • Adopt Proposed Rules 1631 -- Pilot Credit Generation Program for Marine Vessels, 1632 -- Pilot Credit Generation Program for Hotelling Operations, 1633 -- Pilot Credit Generation for Truck/Trailer Refrigeration Units, and 2507 -- Pilot Credit Generation Program for Agricultural Pumps; and
  • Amend Rule 1166 -- Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Decontamination of Soil.

• Authorized a total of $1.8 million to purchase and install low-emitting Capstone MicroTurbines at several locations such as landfills, schools, hospitals, essential public services or high-tech business parks in Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange counties;
• Approved contracts totaling $1.64 million from AQMD's Air Quality Investment Program for vehicle emission reduction projects; and
• Issued a request for proposals for community relations/outreach services and technical assistance to identify and address issues identified in AQMD's Environmental Justice Initiatives.

The Board approved all other items on the agenda except item 38, Amend Regulations IX -- Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and X -- National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, which was continued to the May 11, 2001 Board meeting, and item 41, Amend Rule 1610 -- Old Vehicle Scrapping, which was continued to the July 20, 2001 Board meeting.

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This page updated: August 12, 2004
URL: http://www.aqmd.gov/news1/Governing_Board/Bs4_20_01htm