Commissioner Larry R. Soward, Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality, Texas Senator Kirk Watson, and Kyle Ward, executive
director of Texas PTA gathered at the state capitol this morning to
encourage school districts to clean up their school bus fleets
through retrofits or propane-powered buses in an effort to protect
the health of schoolchildren.
"In some cases, an $800 retrofit can reduce particulate matter
emissions by 70 to 80 percent," said Commissioner Larry R. Soward.
"It's quick, easy to do, and some school districts have already
installed pollution-control devices as part of their general
maintenance schedules."
The TCEQ's Clean School Bus Program is accepting applications
for reimbursements for Texas school districts that install
pollution-control devices on diesel school buses in their fleets.
Applications are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and
the deadline has been extended to Dec. 15 in response to Hurricane
Ike. Go to www.texascleanschoolbus.org
or call 512-239-3100 for application information.
"I am in full support of this important, cost-effective strategy
to protect our kids," Watson said. "I'll be working to increase
funding in the next legislative session as part of our efforts to
reduce harmful emissions."
The program was created by House Bill 3469 in the 79th
Legislature. In the first round of funding, about $5 million was
awarded to retrofit approximately 2,600 school buses.
