The
wonderfully named author Jerry Mander tells an anecdote about the environmental
effects of air travel. A Boeing Corp. physicist told him that “the pollution
from the take-off of a single 747″ is like “setting the local gas station on
fire and flying it over your neighborhood.'” A sobering image, especially when
you consider there were 8.8 million US commercial airline flights last year.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย But some news about ground-based
vehicles is disturbing, too.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย For example, a February 2002 report
from the Union of Concerned Scientists looked at the ordinary school bus. “The
exhaust from diesel fuel — which powers nearly 90 percent of the 454,000
school buses on the road today — has been shown to cause or exacerbate a host
of health problems, including asthma and other respiratory ailments, and has
been linked to cancer and premature deaths,” said the report. Children, said
the report, get unhealthy doses of exhaust as they stand on the curb near
idling buses and even while they’re aboard. Soot is of special concern, because
the solid particles of which its formed are havens for cancer-causing
combustion products.
The UCS report gave New York
State a “C” grade overall, mostly because of bad “fuel choice.” The relevant
data: Statewide, 95 percent of our 45,000 school buses run on diesel fuel, five
percent run on gasoline, and just 0.09 percent use other fuels like natural
gas. The statewide fleet pours out 9,500 tons of smog-related substances and
375 tons of particulate matter (read: soot). The soot emissions, the highest of
any state, account for more than a tenth of the US total.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Surprisingly, New York has by far
the biggest school bus fleet in the country. Number two is Texas, with 33,000;
Pennsylvania and California are next, with 26,000 and 25,000 respectively.
Total school-bus route mileage is a different matter, though: New York, with
205 million route miles, is well behind other leading states. In any case, it
all adds up to a disproportionate dose of pollution.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “All states rely to some extent upon
high-polluting school buses, primarily those powered by diesel,” says the UCS report.
To some extent, the problem is one of age. Older school buses tend to have
older-version, dirtier engines. (How old is old? The Natural Resources Defense
Council surveyed the country and found that many buses more than 20 years old
are on the road, even in air-quality-conscious states like California.) And
there’s incentive to hang on to the old ones, since new buses can cost $100,000
or more.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Change is coming nationally and
locally, though perhaps too slowly.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย In May, a federal court of appeals
upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s new diesel-emissions rule against
a challenge from the National Petroleum and Refiners Association. Issued in
January 2001, the EPA rule mandates that by 2007, soot, nitrogen oxides, and
other substances in diesel exhaust must be reduced 90 to 95 percent. The rule
also mandates a 97 percent reduction in sulfur, which can damage
pollution-control equipment and therefore must be minimized.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The American Lung Association was
just one group to applaud the court’s decision. In a news release, the group
cited EPA findings that the rule will prevent 8,300 premature deaths and 9,500
hospitalizations every year. Children will benefit most of all, said the group,
citing EPA data — 17,600 fewer cases of acute bronchitis and much less
exposure to “likely” carcinogens.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย But an individual child’s fate may
be linked with the type of bus he or she must ride or stand next to — and
reports from environmental groups have found wide disparities.
And what about
our corner of
New York State? Consider what’s happening with one massive local fleet.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Brian Habkirk, district manager for
Laidlaw Transit, sees much improvement ahead. Laidlaw, a private company,
operates school buses for the Rochester City School District and for the
suburban districts of Brighton, East and West Irondequoit, East Rochester, and
(in part) Greece.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Laidlaw’s 600 buses meet current
federal standards, Habkirk says. All 600 do have diesel engines, he says, but
they’re running on low-sulfur fuel. And, he says, as buses are upgraded or
replaced, more and more of them are equipped with the International Truck and
Engine Corporation’s T444E, a state-of-the-art diesel engine that’s a key
component of the company’s “Green Diesel” initiative. (Green Diesel is focused
on California and other states “where diesel fuel with sufficiently reduced
sulfur content is available,” says a company fact sheet.)
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย When it comes to political action on
this issue, Rochester is no California. US Representative Sherwood Boehlert, a
Republican whose district is just to the east of us, has been a Congressional
leader in this regard, however.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Judy Wadsworth, deputy director of
the Monroe County School Boards Association, can’t recall any citizens’ groups
or school districts taking up the banner. “I think in other parts of the
country, smog is a bigger issue,” she says. “Our air seems to be cleaner,” she
says, “and right now, the schools are overwhelmed by a whole lot of things that
are happening to them.” Budget woes, for example.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย On the national scene, though,
there’s a debate going that could filter down to our neighborhoods. As usual,
the environmental movement is pitted against industry. And as in other recent
cases, both sides lay claim to the green label.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย In February 2001, the Natural
Resources Defense Council and the national Coalition for Clean Air released a
study, No Breathing in the Aisles,
that looked at some California buses built in the 1980s. The study found that
30 percent of California school buses were built before 1987. The passage of
years made another point: “Cancer risks from diesel exhaust are related to the
number of years the child rides the bus,” the study said.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “School children are being
transported on buses that are older than the typical transit bus, which is 12
years old,” says San Francisco-based NRDC staff scientist Diane Bailey, a
Binghamton native.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The NRDC study didn’t sound too
hopeful about “Green Diesel,” moreover. That approach, said the study, “is an
improvement over existing diesel technology but still remains dirtier than
alternative-fuel technologies.” The latter, including natural gas, “use
inherently cleaner-burning, lower-carbon fuels and will therefore continue to
hold their low emissions advantage over diesel technologies in the future.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Simple translation: Natural gas
produces almost no soot, does not require failure-prone anti-emissions devices,
and therefore will be easier to keep clean.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The NRDC has felt the wrath of
detractors. “We’ve been attacked on it because our findings are so damning,” says
Diane Bailey. One leading critic is the American Council on Science and Health,
an independent group based in New York City. (ACSH also has opposed banning of
DDT, maintained that dry-cleaning emissions pose little threat to health, and
criticized New York City politician Mark Green for citing the hazards of lead
for children.) An ACSH memo from 2001 calls the NRDC study “bogus science…
replete with invalid and unsupported assertions.” A key objection: the sample
was too small.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The memo also expresses regret that
the NRDC study was “instrumental” in a Los Angeles agency’s decision “to ban
the purchase of school buses powered by clean diesel technology.”
So which path will be
taken?
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย There have been some local stabs at
really cleaning up the buses.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย For example, the Marcus Whitman
Central School District (Ontario County) is ahead of the curve in using “CNG”
(compressed natural gas) buses. Transportation supervisor David Adam says
around one-third of the district-owned fleet is CNG-driven — actually down
from a few years ago, when 16 of the district’s 25 buses ran on natural gas.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Not that there haven’t been
practical problems. Adam recalls sending buses to Erie, Pennsylvania, a route
with no CNG refueling stations along the way. Faced with that, Adams sent
ordinary buses to Erie. Then there’s money; CNG buses can cost $30,000 to $40,000
more than traditional ones, a margin that grants sometimes cover. But “the
grant money has kind of dried up,” says Adam.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Some locals are looking into
“bio-diesel” — entirely soy-based or a mixture of soy and traditional diesel
fuel. Paul Heaney, a retired Eastman Kodak mechanical engineer who works with
Genesee Region Clean Communities, says his group has started working with the
Pittsford schools to put some bio-diesel buses in place. Bio-diesel, he says,
“reduces emissions dramatically.” Heaney is also interested in electric buses,
which are cleaner still. He recalls one, a 60-passenger model that was on
display at Rochester Institute of Technology not long ago. But as with CNG,
refueling (recharging) can be a challenge.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย But such considerations pale next to
the big one: human health.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Peter Iwanowicz, environmental
health director with the Albany office of the American Lung Association, is
deeply involved. He says his group “is somewhat fuel-neutral.” He notes,
however, that while 1,000 transit buses in New York State are natural-gas driven
(including some owned by the Rochester transit authority), less than two
percent of the state’s school buses are “clean.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Iwanowicz cuts through the data with
a common-sense observation: “Diesel exhaust is as bad as it looks.”
This article appears in Sep 18-24, 2002.
