Los Angeles Air Regulators Once Again Show Anti-Diesel Bias In School Bus Proposal

Diesel Fuel News, Dec 25, 2000 by Jack Peckham

South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) proposes in a draft rule that public and private school bus operators in metro Los Angeles buy compressed or liquefied natural gas (CNG/LNG), propane, methanol, electric, or fuel cell buses, "or other advanced technologies that do not rely on diesel fuel."

Disregarding the fact that school districts could clean up far more total buses by buying much-lower-cost clean-diesel buses with particle traps and ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD), the agency instead proposes to require purchase of a relative handful of high-cost CNG or alt-fuel buses, even if they're used buses.

If the rule is finalized as proposed, then SCAQMD will have continued to follow an anti-diesel pattern established in its earlier "fleet rules," no matter the cost to taxpayers and school districts (see Diesel Fuel News 10/23/2000, p8).

California Air Resources Board (CARB) earlier set aside $25 million of a $50 million clean school bus fund for about 200 alternative fuel buses (see Diesel Fuel News 12/11/2000, p8) even though industry and school districts pointed out that California could have wiped out "toxic" diesel emissions on thousands of diesel buses for the same money.

Except for special cases, the only place for clean-diesel in metro Los Angeles is retrofitting old buses, not buying new clean-diesel buses, SCAQMD says.

Exemptions to this rule would apply if a school district lacks funds "to fully offset the differential purchase cost of an alternative-fueled school bus." If so, then the district must first look for a gasoline-powered alternative, and if that's not available, it could buy a diesel bus with a particulate matter (PM) filter and run on ULSD of no more than 15 ppm sulfur.

School districts also could get out of the alt-fuel mandate if, until Jan. 1, 2003, they lack an alt-fuel refueling site within 5 miles of the bus storage site. If so, then they must first search for a gasoline-powered alternative, and if that's not available, then they could buy a diesel bus with a PM trap and ULSD;

Hearings on the proposed rule are set for January 9.