Buses Go 'Green' in Rochester

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A voluntary collaboration of businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations called Project Green Fleet is reducing the pollution created by transit and school buses in the city of Rochester.

The public is invited to learn about Rochester's "green" buses at a celebration hosted by Herbert Hoover Elementary School at 369 Elton Hills Dr. N.W., on Tuesday, Feb. 19, from 10 to 11 a.m. Buses are made "green" by the installation of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved filters and catalyst mufflers that can reduce engine emissions by up to 50 percent. Short presentations will explain why these buses represent an important effort to keep Rochester's air clean. A mechanic will be available to show actual retrofitting and explain how it works. Speakers will include Cathy Moeger, division director, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; Fred Nobrega, M.D., executive director, Zumbro Valley Medical Society; and Glenn Heins, third grade teacher at Hoover Elementary.

Buses eligible for retrofitting are older models with diesel engines that are expected to provide many years of service. Newer buses create less pollution and don't need retrofitting. A total of 36 of Rochester's eligible school buses will be upgraded soon. In addition, eight transit buses are being upgraded.

Vehicles with diesel engines contribute more than 50 percent of the air pollution generated by traffic in Minnesota. Those pollutants can concentrate inside a bus. Studies have shown that pollution levels inside a school bus can be up to five times higher than outdoor air. Because children breathe more air relative to their body weight than adults, they are especially susceptible to the health problems these pollutants can cause, such as asthma and other lung diseases.

Rochester's "green" buses are part of a larger statewide effort by Project Green Fleet. To date, more than 480 buses have been retrofitted in Duluth, Bemidji, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minn. Those retrofits have reduced emissions exposure for approximately 30,000 school children. Project Green Fleet plans to complete the retrofitting of all eligible school buses in the state within the next four years — a total of approximately 4,000 buses.

Participation in Project Green Fleet is entirely voluntary. Air quality in Minnesota currently satisfies the standards established by the federal Clean Air Act. As a result, there is no regulatory mandate to retrofit diesel engines to make them run cleaner. But, according to David Thornton, assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, ignoring pollution sources such as diesel engines places the quality of Minnesota's air at risk. "Minnesota is proactively taking responsibility to enhance our quality of life by reducing harmful emissions and lowering the health risk to children."

The retrofits are made possible through the generous support of Project Green Fleet's sponsors. In Rochester, clean buses have been made possible through the support of Rochester Public Utilities, the city of Rochester, Flint Hills Resources, and Mayo Clinic. Partners include First Student Bus Company, Donaldson Company, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region V.

Project Green Fleet is a project of Clean Air Minnesota, a partnership of businesses, environmental groups, government agencies and citizens, co-chaired by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. The project is coordinated by the Minnesota Environmental Initiative, a nonprofit that seeks solutions to Minnesota's environmental problems through innovative partnerships. For more information contact Kabby Jones at 612-334-3388, ext. 109, or kjones@mn-ei.org.

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