Clean Yellow Fleets for Blue Skies Program: 2003-2005
The Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) would like to extend their gratitude to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and the Colorado Department of Transportation for helping to fund RAQC's diesel retrofit projects throughout the Denver metro area.
The first phase of the Clean Yellow Fleets for Blue Skies program was successfully completed in December 2005. The final report, detailing program experience, is now available. Please click on the following link to access the report CYFBS Final Report.
For information regarding the Clean Yellow Fleets recognition banquet, held in November 2005, please click on the link below.
Clean Yellow Fleets for Blue Skies Recognition Banquet |
School Bus Fleets
Overview
Clean Yellow Fleets for Blue Skies (CYFBS) was a grant-funded initiative, managed by the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) – the lead air quality planning agency for the seven county metropolitan-Denver region – to significantly reduce diesel emissions by retrofitting between 1,100 of the Front Range region's school buses. In addition, the program funded the purchase of lower-polluting fuel to further reduce emissions.
Participating School Districts
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Technology and Fuel
- Diesel Oxidation Catalyst - A unit that is typically installed in place of the muffler and is coated with metals that trigger chemical reactions to breakdown pollutants into harmless gases as they pass through the exhaust system. This device is estimated to reduce particulate matter emissions by 20-26 percent, carbon monoxide emissions by 38-41 percent, and hydrocarbon emissions by 49-66 percent.
- Diesel Oxidation Catalyst plus Spiracle - A diesel oxidation catalyst installed along with a Spiracle closed crankcase system that completely eliminates all of the emissions coming from the crankcase (25 percent of total vehicle emissions). This combination of equipment is estimated to reduce hydrocarbon emissions by 40 percent, particulate matter emissions by 28-32 percent, and carbon monoxide emissions by 31-34 percent.
- Engine Pre-Heater - A unit that is typically installed inside the engine compartment or on the chassis. The system preheats the coolant in the engine to eliminate cold starts, bringing the engine's coolant temperature to over 180 degrees Fahrenheit. This completely eliminates the need to idle the vehicle during pre-trip warm-ups. It is estimated that this unit reduces carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, and volatile organic compound emissions by up to 80 percent during its typical 2-hour period of use, due to the reduced fuel usage.
- Biodiesel (B20) Fuel - A blend of 80 percent conventional #2 diesel fuel and 20 percent vegetable oil (typically soy bean oil) estimated to reduce particulate matter and carbon monoxide emissions by up to 12 percent and hydrocarbon emissions by up to 20 percent.
Air Quality
Although the Denver region currently stands as the first major metropolitan city in the nation to reach attainment for all federal, health-based air quality standards after violating five of six National Ambient Air Quality Standards, new challenges remain. EPA has developed two new, health-based standards for ozone and fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5. The Denver region expects to stay under the PM2.5 standard more easily than the ozone standard. However, there is a strong relationship between PM2.5 and Denver’s “Brown Cloud.” Efforts – such as the Clean Yellow Fleets for Blues Skies project – helped to ensure that the region met the new standard and helped reduce Denver’s visibility problem. In addition, school children can breathe cleaner air while traveling to and from school.
Funding
CYFBS was a $1,350,000 program funded through two federal grant programs - United States Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus USA program and Federal Highway Administration's Congestion Mitigation / Air Quality program. The RAQC worked with 15 school districts during 2003 to secure program funding and develop a strategy for installation.
Installation
Phase I of the installation of the equipment began in October, 2003 and continued through the end of 2005. Phase II will begin in 2006.
Contact Information
For more information, contact Steven McCannon – Program Manager at the Regional Air Quality Council – at smccannon@raqc.org or (303) 629-5450, ext. 230 or visit www.cleanairfleets.org.
School Bus Fleets
It is estimated that every day, nearly 24 million children travel to and from school on approximately 444,000 school buses nationwide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This equates to nearly four billion vehicle miles traveled every year. Although traveling on school buses is one of the safest ways for children to travel to and from school, there is a growing concern about children’s prolonged exposure to diesel exhaust emissions. School districts nationwide, and locally, are under pressure by parents and the federal government to reduce the amount of black smoke flowing out of school bus tailpipes. However, with ongoing budget cuts and constraints, making changes to existing programs and policies seems quite costly and, often times, out of reach.
In the Spring 2003, however, EPA announced a new funding program designed to encourage “policies and practices to eliminate unnecessary school bus idling, install effective emission control systems on newer buses, and replace the oldest dirtiest buses in the fleet with clean burning buses.” (See the section on “Funding” for more information.) With the federal government’s attention focused on cleaning up America’s school buses, many new funding opportunities will open the door for school districts to reduce emissions from their existing fleets.
Metro Denver School Bus Fleet Survey
In March 2003, the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) conducted a school bus fleet survey to collect demographical information about the size and age of 16 school bus fleets in the metro Denver region. In addition, the survey provided information on existing idling programs and the use, or nonuse, of alternative fuels and after-market equipment such as oxidation catalysts and/or engine preheat systems. Here are some of the results from the survey:
School Bus Fleet Survey (16 participating districts*)
| Number of buses | Number of children transported | Average age of fleet | Number of districts using alternative fuels | Number of districts w/idling programs | Number of districts using after-market equipment |
| 1,958 | 119,000 | 9 years | 5 | 13 | 2 |
In addition to the above table, the survey showed that the majority of school districts queried are interested in testing the use of emission control and idling technology or alternative fuels, should there be money available to help fund pilot projects. Funding is the main reason most school districts do not currently utilize technologies or alternative fuels.
Several funding opportunities were announced in the past year to assist school districts in making improvements to existing buses, retiring older buses, implementing new policies and procedures, and installing hardware to eliminate unnecessary idling. One of these opportunities is the availability of $5 million for EPA’s Clean School Bus USA Program. EPA held a competition in July 2003 to award funding to several regions across the nation. The Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) teamed up with 12 Denver metro school districts to submit a $500,000 proposal to assist with the purchase of oxidation catalysts, biodiesel fuel, and engine preheat systems. EPA is expected to announce the award recipients by November 2003.
In addition, EPA’s National Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program recently awarded a total of $500,000 nationwide for retrofit projects for both public and private fleets and school bus fleets. There may be future opportunities for funding through this program for pubic and private fleets.
Lastly, Toyota is expected to announce the availability of $20 million for school bus retrofit and retirement projects before the end of 2003. The focus of these grant monies will be to retire the oldest, highest emitting buses still running on regular routes. In addition, some of the funding will be used to upgrade existing school buses with emission control technology.
For a list of updated funding opportunities, visit the Clean Air Fleets web site at www.cleanairfleets.org/retrofit.html.
Emission Control Technologies
There have been tremendous developments in the design and application of emission control technologies in the last decade to substantially reduce levels of particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions. The two most common technologies – diesel particulate filters (DPF) and oxidation catalysts (DOC) – effectively control the levels of pollutants in the exhaust on their own or when used together. (See the “Emission Control Technologies” page for more information.) Other emerging technologies within the school bus fleet industry include variations of engine preheat systems, which are small units designed to eliminate engine idling.
The systems – which are typically installed inside the engine compartment or on the chassis – preheat the coolant in the engine to eliminate cold starts, bringing the engine’s coolant temperature to over 180 degrees farenheit. This eliminates the need to idle the engine during pre-trip warm-ups. In addition, several manufacturers offer larger units that warm up the engine and the inside of the school bus. Not only do these units significantly reduce idling emissions, but save money due to less fuel consumption and lower operational and maintenance costs. In addition, engine preheat systems contribute to extended engine life. The units typically range in weight from five to 35 pounds and range in price from approximately $1,200 – $2,500 installed – a nominal cost when compared to fuel cost and maintenance savings.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies emission control technologies; including engine preheat systems, filters, and catalysts. In addition, EPA certifies fuels and fuel additives. For an updated list of EPA-certified technologies and fuels, visit www.epa.gov/otaq/retrofit.
Alternative Fuels
There are a variety of alternative fuels available today to significantly reduce diesel emissions. (See the “Alternative Fuels” page for more information.) However, the fuels tend to be more costly and school districts are apprehensive to purchase a higher-priced fuel with ongoing budget cuts and restraints. A number of Denver area school districts are currently testing the use of biodiesel (B20), a blend of 20 percent vegetable oil and 80 percent conventional diesel fuel in numerous school buses. Thus far, the districts have not run into any issues and in one instance, a district claimed that the maintenance intervals were stretched by a few months with the use of B20. Biodiesel typically costs $0.2223 more per gallon (as of September 2003) than conventional diesel, however, that cost should decrease once the fuel is produced locally.
Compressed natural gas (CNG) is another cleaner option for school bus fleets. The benefits include lower fuel costs, increased performance, and emissions reductions. Generally, CNG costs 15 – 40 percent less than gasoline or diesel fuel. However, purchasing a dedicated CNG bus costs approximately $3,500 – $6,000 more than a diesel bus.
