EPA Administrator
Praises Maine’s Efforts to Curb School Bus Pollution
Contact: Peyton Fleming, EPA Press Office (617-918-1008)
For Immediate Release: September 21, 2004; Release # 04-09-08
PORTLAND, ME – EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt visited a
Portland elementary school today to recognize Maine’s efforts
to reduce soot emissions from hundreds of diesel school buses across
the state, including dozens in the Portland School District.
Using a grant from EPA’s “Clean School Bus USA” program,
the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is spearheading
a program that will result in 300 school buses being retrofitted
with pollution control equipment that will curb emissions of particulate
matter (soot), carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. DEP is working
with 26 school districts on the project, making it the first statewide
program of its kind in the country.
Joined by state and local environmental and school officials,
Leavitt recognized six area school transportation directors who
have been leading retrofit efforts in their districts. Twenty buses
have been retrofitted so far and the remaining 280 buses are scheduled
to be upgraded by the end of the year, including two-dozen in the
Portland School District.
“Maine is a national model in its commitment to clean school
buses,” said Leavitt, speaking at the Presumpscot Elementary
School, which will be getting two retrofitted school buses later
this fall. “The state of Maine, school transportation directors
and the community are taking actions to ensure their children are
breathing healthy air as they travel to and from school each day.”
The school department and districts recognized today are the:
- Portland Public Schools
- South Portland School Department
- Westbrook School Department
- Gorham School Department
- Oxford Hill Schools
- Maine School Administrative District #6, serving Buxton, Hollis,
Limington, Standish and Frye Island, as well as parts of
York and Cumberland counties
Maine was one of 17 demonstration projects selected nationwide
last year for $5 million in funding specifically authorized by
Congress under EPA’s Clean School Bus USA program. Launched
in April 2003, the Clean School Bus USA program is aiming to have
all school buses in the country be clean school buses by 2010.
One of only two recipients selected in New England, Maine received
a $567,376 grant from EPA. The state has also received $100,000
in funds from the US Department of Energy for alternative fuel
school buses.
Maine DEP is helping 26 school districts in both urban and rural
areas across the state acquire diesel oxidation catalysts to retrofit
300 school buses. These catalysts will reduce pollution by at least
20 percent from each bus. Maine has also committed to buy 180 new
school buses which will be equipped with pollution control technology.
In 2002, Maine launched a “Doing My Share for Clean Air” campaign
to promote improved technology and practices to reduce student
exposure to diesel school bus exhaust. As part of the campaign,
DEP has collaborated with the Maine Department of Education and
the Maine Association for Pupil Transportation to reduce school
bus idling statewide by developing comprehensive outreach materials
for school officials, transportation directors, bus drivers and
parents.
Exposure to diesel exhaust can pose health risks, including triggering
asthma symptoms and other respiratory ailments. Asthma is the most
common long-term childhood disease, affecting 6.3 million children.
Like the other New England states, the childhood asthma rate in
Maine is over 10 percent.
Children are especially sensitive to air pollution their lungs
are still developing and they breathe at a faster rate. Lower emissions
of diesel exhaust benefit not only America’s school-aged
children, but teachers, parents and all members of the community.
EPA’s Clean School Bus USA program is encouraging school
districts to reduce idling of buses, retrofit existing buses with
pollution controls and replace the oldest school buses with new
ones. For more information about EPA’s efforts in New England
to reduce pollution from school buses, visit www.epa.gov/ne/eco/diesel.
For more information about EPA’s Clean School Bus USA program,
visit www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus.
The Maine public school districts that will participate in the
Clean School Bus USA program are:
Brunswick School Department
Union #42, Readfield and Monmouth
MSAD #1, Presque Isle, Limestone, and Bridgewater
River Valley School District, MSAD #52, Turner Wiscasset School District
MSAD #6, Standish
MSAD #9, Farmington
MSAD #27, Fort Kent
MSAD #47, Oakland and Waterville
Oxford Hills School District
Gorham School Department
Westbrook School Department
MSAD #77, East Machias |
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Freeport School District
Medway School District
Portland Public Schools
South Portland Public Schools
Caribou School District
MSAD #41, Milo School District
MSAD #43, Mexico
Ellsworth School District
Falmouth School District |
METADATA
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TITLE: EPA Administrator Praises
Maine’s Efforts to Curb School Bus Pollution
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ABSTRACT:
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PURPOSE: Public Information
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ORIGINATOR: Regional Administrator's
Office
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POINT OF CONTACT FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION:
Peyton Fleming
Office of the Regional Administrator
EPA New England
1 Congress Street, Suite 1100 (RAA)
Boston, MA 02114-2023
(617) 918-1008
David Deegan
Office of the Regional Administrator
EPA New England
1 Congress Street, Suite 1100 (RAA)
Boston, MA 02114-2023
(617) 918-1017
Stacy Greendlinger,
Office of the Regional Administrator
EPA New England
1 Congress Street, Suite 1100 (RAA)
Boston, MA 02114-2023
617-918-1403
Alice Kaufman
Office of Site Remediation & Restoration
EPA New England
1 Congress Street, Suite 1100 (RAA)
Boston, MA 02114-2023
(617) 918-1064
Andrew Spejewski
Office of the Regional Administrator
EPA New England
1 Congress Street, Suite 1100 (RAA)
Boston, MA 02114-2023
(617) 918-1014
Margot Perez-Sullivan
Office of the Regional Administrator
EPA New England
1 Congress Street, Suite 1100 (RAA)
Boston, MA 02114-2023
(617) 918-1060
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RESPONSIBLE PARTY:
Peyton Fleming, EPA Press Office, (617) 918-1008
Office of the Regional Administrator
David Deegan, EPA Press Office, (617) 918-1017
Office of the Regional Administrator
Stacy Greendlinger, EPA Press Office, 617-918-1403
Office of the Regional Administrator
Alice Kaufman, EPA Press Office, (617) 918-1064
Office of Site Remediation & Restoration
Andrew Spejewski, EPA Press Office, (617) 918-1014
Office of the Regional Administrator
Margot Perez-Sullivan, EPA Press Office, (617) 918-1060
Office of the Regional Administrator
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