In what could become a common occurrence around the nation, a stringent anti-idling policy has been adopted for school buses in Connecticut. The Department of Environmental Protection and the Connecticut School Transportation Association (COSTA) signed an agreement in early January to urge drivers to shut off their engines immediately after arriving at schools. The policy is intended to reduce the diesel exhaust emissions that are released into the air as well as the emissions that might be drawn into school ventilation systems. “We have asked all of our members to instruct their drivers to turn off their buses when they reach school or wherever they’re going,” said Robin Leeds, COSTA’s executive director. “We’ve also asked them to reduce the amount of time that buses are idled during start-up.” Leeds said the state has an existing three-minute idling restriction on all vehicles. She expects that enforcement of this regulation will be bolstered. The recently approved idling policy is a voluntary effort. When temperatures dip below 20 degrees, drivers are exempted from all idling restrictions.