Additional Considerations for Reducing Emissions

Making the Way for Environmentally Cleaner Buses

Fuel Selection

When replacing school buses with newer buses meeting current or future emission standards, there are other options that school districts can choose to further reduce emissions from school buses.

Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD)

Significantly reducing the sulfur content in diesel fuel (to less than 15 ppm), refiners have been producing cleaner burning diesel fuel, called Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD), for highway vehicles. ULSD will be available nationwide for retail sale by October 2006, but currently is available in many parts of the country as it is phased into the retail stream. This fuel enables advanced pollution control technology for school buses so that engine and vehicle manufacturers can meet the 2007 emission standards. As a result, each new bus will be more than 90 percent cleaner than current models.

For more information on ULSD, visit the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance

To read about EPA's Heavy-Duty Highway Diesel Rule, visit the Heavy Duty Highway Diesel Program

Biodiesel

Smartway Grow and Go - Facts about Biodiesel

Retrofit Technologies

If new replacement buses that are being purchased by the school district do not have retrofit technologies installed on them, then schools may wish to request that the manufacturer install additional pollution control devices on their replacement buses to further reduce the pollutants in the diesel exhaust. Visit Clean Diesel Verification at http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/verification for more information.

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