About the Illinois Clean School Bus Program
What is the Illinois Clean School Bus Program?
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich and the Illinois EPA have a goal under the Illinois
Clean School Bus Program, to provide a healthier environment for Illinois school
children. The Illinois Clean School Bus Program will provide funding to assist
schools/school districts to reduce emissions from diesel-powered school buses.
The purpose of the Illinois Clean School Bus Program is to:
- Provide a healthier environment for children by reducing the emissions
coming from diesel-powered school buses;
- Improve the air quality in and around the school buildings and throughout
the local communities;
- Assist school districts in using cleaner fuels, replace existing buses
with cleaner models or retrofit buses with advanced emission control technologies.
What are the objectives to the Illinois Clean School Bus Program?
- Reduce children's daily exposure to potentially harmful pollutants emitted
from diesel school bus engines.
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Utilize appropriate strategies to achieve reduced emissions. Available strategies
will be targeted at reducing particulate matter and other potentially harmful
emissions from diesel-powered school buses.
- Educate school district personnel and commercial school bus providers on
how various clean school bus options can improve the school bus fleet and
provide significant environmental and health benefits.
- Educate school district personnel and commercial school bus providers on
the emissions and potential health impacts associated with diesel bus idling,
with a goal of eliminating unnecessary idling.
What are the Clean School Bus options?
Oxidation Catalyst Retrofit: An oxidation catalyst is a type of advanced
catalytic converter for diesel vehicles. Oxidation catalysts can perform on
either regular diesel or Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel fuel. This type of retrofit
can reduce Particulate Matter (PM) by 20-30 percent, hydrocarbons by 50 percent
and carbon monoxide by 40 percent.
Particulate Filters: Particulate filters can be installed between
the engine and the exhaust pipe of a diesel-powered bus. The filters are effective
in reducing PM emissions by 60-90 percent.
Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel: ULSD can be used in any diesel vehicle. It
has significantly less sulfur content, resulting in reductions of fine PM
up to 10 percent.
Biodiesel Fuels: Biodiesel is a mixture of diesel fuel with soybean
or vegetable oil based products. A standard diesel engine is capable of operating
on biodiesel mixtures up to 20 percent without modifications. PM emissions
can be reduced by 10 percent.
Clean Diesel Technology Engines: Some manufacturers are making new
diesel engines that already meet or exceed the more stringent emission standards
effective in 2007. This new technology can reduce PM by up to 95 percent.
Natural Gas and Propane Engines: As the fastest-growing types of "non-conventional"
buses, natural gas buses account for nearly one-third of all new mass transit
bus orders in the nation. Propane school buses are increasing in numbers as
well. There are virtually no visible PM emissions from natural gas and propane
engines.
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