Eight school districts in Michigan have been awarded grants to replace older diesel school buses.
Michgan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy officials today announced $626,573 in grants awarded to eight school districts in Michigan – Fennville, Fowlerville, Hamilton, Hillsdale, Hopkins, Livonia, Ludington and Wayne-Westland – to help purchase 28 new school buses.
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The new buses will use either clean diesel or propane technology, which will reduce kids’ exposure to harmful exhaust fumes and particles from the buses while riding and when they are getting on and off.
It also keeps the fumes from getting indoors, where children spend most of their day, since exhaust can be drawn into buildings as doors open and close.
Diesel emissions from older buses may contribute to long-term damage to the environment and impact climate. The Michigan Department of Education recommends minimizing school bus idling time when parked to reduce students exposures to exhaust emissions.
Contaminants from diesel exhaust include more than 40 substances listed by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency as either Hazardous Air Pollutants or Criteria Pollutants (or precursors to Criteria Pollutants, such as Nitric Oxides and Nitrogen Dioxide, both components of Oxides of Nitrogen). Both Hazardous Air Pollutants and Criteria Pollutants have known adverse health impacts on humans.