The EPA has awarded $999,460 to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources “Clean Up Missouri” Project to replace, retrofit and repower school buses throughout the state, and it has awarded $343,450 to Kansas Department of Health & Environment for similar efforts.

The money for the “Clean Up Missouri Project will go toward 196 school buses, as well as nine switch locomotives. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources will partner with St. Louis Regional Clean Cities, Mid-America Regional Council in Kansas City, Ozarks Center for Sustainable Solutions in Springfield and the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission to reduce diesel emissions in the state.
 
St. Louis Regional Clean Cities will retrofit 23 DeSoto Area School District buses with diesel oxidation catalysts and fuel-operated heaters. (Fuel-operated heaters prevent the bus driver from having to run the school bus at idle for long periods of time.)

Ozarks Center for Sustainable Solutions will retrofit 87 buses with oxidation catalysts and fuel-operated heaters in the Lebanon, West Plains, Kirbyville R-VI and Willard R-II school districts. The project also funds school bus replacement at Joplin, Dallas County, Willard R-II and Logan-Rogersville school districts.

Mid-America Regional Council plans to retrofit 77 school buses in the Liberty, Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs school districts with fuel-operated heaters and closed crankcase ventilation.  The project will also replace one school bus in the Lee’s Summit School District.

The $343,450 awarded to the Kansas Department of Health & Environment will be used to retrofit 59 Kansas City (Kan.) School District buses with diesel oxidation catalysts and fuel-operated heaters, and replace diesel construction equipment used by the city of Wichita.