Texas Rep. Lon Burnam, TCEQ Regional Director Tony Walker,
Region 4 - Dallas-Fort Worth, Fort Worth I.S.D. Superintendent Dr.
Melody Johnston and Texas PTA Environmental Chair Heather
Ashwell-Hair gathered at E. M. Daggett Middle School today to
congratulate the district on efforts to protect the health of
students who ride school buses. Fort Worth I.S.D. has already
received $157,436 and retrofitted 239 school buses through the
TCEQ's Texas Clean School Bus Program with closed crankcase
filtration systems.
More than 36,000 buses carrying an estimated 1.3 million
students hit the roads of Texas each school day. A little more than
one-third of these buses are more than 10 years old. Older vehicles
emit more pollution than do newer models. Exposure to diesel
exhaust from school buses can aggravate respiratory problems,
asthma and allergies. An easy retrofit of buses with
clean-technology devices can reduce emissions by 70 to 80
percent.
The TCEQ's Clean School Bus Program is a state-wide program
accepting applications for reimbursements to Texas school districts
that install pollution-control devices on diesel school buses in
their fleets. A total of $8 million can be issued to school
districts this year. Applications are awarded on a first-come,
first-served basis and are accepted through Nov. 14. Go to
TexasCleanSchoolBus.org. or call 512-239-3100 for application
information.
The program was created by House Bill 3469 in the 79th
Legislature, sponsored by Rep. Scott Hochberg and Sen. Gonzalo
Barrientos. In fiscal year 2008, about $5 million was awarded to
retrofit 2,643 school buses across the state.
