Rowland Unified’s yellow school buses going green

61370-BUS.JPG

Rowland Unified School District is taking steps to turn its big yellow school buses green.

The district recently received $2.5 million in grants to buy
cleaner buses. The new buses are fueled by compressed natural gas, known
as CNG, eliminating the dirty diesel that powered the old buses.

Rowland Unified sees the buses as one more step in its green
initiative. Studies show CNG buses emit significantly less pollutants
such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides.

“When we heard about the California Air Resources Board’s
school bus program, we applied for six new buses through the (South
Coast Air Quality Management District),” explained Keith Moore, the
school district’s director of transportation. “We’ll receive another
nine buses before the end of the year.”

The Air Resources Board is trying to reduce children’s exposure to the cancer-causing pollutants that foul the air.

Read more in Rich Irwin’s story BUSES.