BEEP Awarded $256,479 Grant to Support Replacing Dirtiest Operating School Buses

The Bus Emission Education Program (BEEP) is pleased to offer Iowa school districts the opportunity to replace a diesel school bus from 1981 through 1992 in daily route use with a new diesel school bus by providing matching funds of up to 45 percent of the cost or $30,450, whichever is the lesser amount. The new bus (make and model to be selected by the school district) must meet or exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2007 engine standards for up-to-date environmental controls and safety. There will be eight school bus grants awarded in this offering that will be competitively selected.

New diesel buses run 95 percent cleaner than the buses targeted for replacement.

To receive consideration for this grant, school districts must comply with the following stipulations:

• Demonstrate that the school district would not be able to make the bus replacement without the match offered by BEEP.
• Verify that the bus replacement would not occur through normal attrition of vehicles and equipment, nor will it expand the school district’s fleet.
• Implement an idling reduction policy, or have already implemented one.
• Disable the old engine in a manner that leaves it inoperable.
• Provide mileage and fuel use for the bus to be replaced and track mileage and fuel use for the new bus.
• Demonstrate how the school district’s portion of the match will be obtained.

A letter of intent is required by November 1, 2008 and should be sent to Dr. Dan Smith of the School Administrators of Iowa. There is no penalty if a letter of intent is submitted, but the school district decides not to apply for the grant.

The BEEP mission is to have the cleanest school bus fleet in the United States and educating Iowa’s school students on air quality and mobile source pollution and its effects on the Earth’s life cycle and atmosphere. Since its inception in 2002 BEEP has funded the installation of 541 diesel oxidation catalysts on school buses and supported the use of biodiesel in every school district where the fuel is available through two grants provided by the EPA. BEEP partners include the School Administrators of Iowa, the Iowa Association of School Boards, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Iowa Department of Education, and the Iowa Pupil Transportation Association.

For more information about the BEEP program contact Mindy Kralicek, air quality information specialist, at (515) 281-7832 or Mindy.Kralicek@dnr.iowa.gov.