Oregon governor approves bus retrofit, replacement bill

SALEM, Ore. — Gov. Ted Kulongoski has signed into law a bill that will require all diesel school buses in the state to meet the EPA’s 2007 emissions standards within about 15 years.

Under the law, older diesel-powered school buses must be retrofitted with emissions-control technology by Jan. 1, 2017. This includes particulate matter filters.

Those buses that are too old to be retrofitted must be replaced by Jan. 1, 2025, with school buses that were manufactured on or after Jan. 1, 2007.

A school bus that has been replaced cannot be used for transportation of any kind.

The Oregonian reported that the state has about 4,600 diesel-powered school buses — including 251 built before 1994 — that need to be replaced and 2,400 that require retrofits. School districts can utilize federal grants, stimulus money and state-matching funds to pay for the equipment.