School Bus Idling Comes To A Halt
October 12, 2004
Contact: Rachel Filippini, Executive Director: 412-325-7382
Group Against Smog & Pollution (GASP) commends the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) and the Allegheny County Council for their efforts in creating the diesel school bus idling regulation. Now enforceable throughout the county, this important, commonsense regulation will reduce people’s exposure to harmful diesel exhaust by limiting school bus idling when dropping-off and picking-up students before and after school, during the Friday night football games, and the countless other trips students take in the school bus.
As of today, school buses will not be permitted to unnecessarily idle for any more than five minutes, with some exemptions, including: if the outside temperature is less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit or above 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and when idling is necessary to operate a lift or other equipment designed to ensure the safe loading or unloading of people with disabilities. To view the entire school bus idling regulation go to http://www.gasp-pgh.org/action/schoolbusidling.pdf
Citizens will play a critical role in helping to implement this new regulation, which will be enforced by the ACHD and individual municipalities. GASP encourages the public to report suspected violations to the proper authorities immediately, at 412-687-ACHD (2243).
GASP has worked tirelessly to educate citizens about the negative effects of diesel exhaust on human health and the environment for several years. GASP also monitors numerous diesel “hotspots” in the county with its GASPer Air Monitor and other air quality monitoring equipment. In May of 2003 GASP partnered with the Allegheny County Council to proclaim May 6, 2003 as “Stop School Bus Idling” Day. From that moment forward GASP has promoted anti-idling regulations for all heavy-duty diesel vehicles in Allegheny County. GASP assisted the ACHD’s Air Pollution Control, Regulation Subcommittee to craft the school bus idling regulation and will continue to support the ACHD and Allegheny County Council in the creation of future heavy-duty diesel idling regulations.
“This is an important first step for the county in limiting needless idling that wastes fuel and money and most importantly negatively impacts public health and our environment. The school bus idling regulation is a commonsense law that will help to protect one of the most vulnerable populations to air pollution, our children,” said Rachel Filippini, GASP Executive Director. Stopping unnecessary school bus idling just makes good sense for the health of students, school staff, and bus drivers, as well as making good economic sense for school districts and bus companies. A typical diesel vehicle burns approximately one gallon of diesel fuel for each hour it idles.
Diesel exhaust is more hazardous than you might think. It contains more than 40 toxic substances, including formaldehyde, cyanide, dioxin, and ammonia. Diesel exhaust has been linked in numerous scientific studies to cancer, the exacerbation of asthma and other respiratory diseases. Children represent the largest subgroup of the population susceptible to the effects of air pollution for many reasons including: developing bodies that are less capable of defending themselves against pollutants, such as fine particulates, which can lodge deep in the lungs. Children typically have a higher breathing rate, thus receiving greater doses of pollutants in the air, and children tend to spend more time outdoors, especially when air pollution levels are at their peak.
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