Overview
School buses remain the safest method of transporting pupils to school, however, pre-2007 model buses can emit diesel pollution from the engine tailpipe and crankcase that exposes passengers and others to pollutants that impede respiratory systems, cause asthma attacks, and have been linked to a wide variety of other adverse health effects including heart attacks, strokes, cancer and premature death, including crib death in infants. The opportunity exists now to reduce diesel emissions from these buses by at least 85% by using the same emission control technology that is cleaning up new buses. Rather than waiting a long time for the buses to be replaced by cleaner 2007 or later models, reducing diesel emissions now from school buses will have health benefits for one of our most vulnerable populations, school children.
To promote this solution, the Clean Air Task Force, Clean Water Action, the Group Against Smog and Pollution and the Heinz Endowments, announce the establishment of the Pittsburgh Healthy School Bus Fund. The goal of this rebate program is to promote a clean ride to school by providing funds to retrofit pre-2007 engine buses serving the Pittsburgh school district with the most effective emission reduction technologies available, both a diesel particulate filter (DPF) for the tailpipe and a closed crankcase ventilation system for the engine. Currently the Pittsburgh Public Schools use approximately 350 full size diesel school buses (Types C, and D), contracted through twelve separate contractors to transport pupils. The Heinz Endowments has made this program possible by providing $500,000 in initial funds. The expectation is that a combination of public and private grants will make substantial additional funding available.
The rebate program is a simple two-step process: (1) reservation and (2) payment. During the first-step, "reservation", the bus owner is assigned a spot on a payment list, qualifying the owner/operator for a rebate that as long as the technology is installed within 120 days. The second step, "payment" follows installation, and is provided as long as the installation and all other requirements are completed and documented, again within the specified time period. Reservations and payments will be secured on a first come, first served basis. The rebate values will initially be set at a fixed level of $6,850 per bus including the DPF/CCV and associated components as well as installation and warranty. These rebate values are subject to change and are expected to decline over the life of the program as the technologies achieve greater economies of scale. The program will track the usage of the buses after the retrofit is complete to verify that the bus is still in service within the Pittsburgh school district and the DPF/CCV is still installed and functional.