Study: Idling produces more pollutants
NEW YORK — Results of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study of school bus exhaust levels were announced Monday at a press conference he...
NEW YORK — Results of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study of school bus exhaust levels were announced Monday at a press conference held at Public School 48 in the Bronx.
Under the study, EPA measured the pollution from six buses owned and operated by the Katonah-Lewisboro School District of New York, and concluded that idling for more than three minutes generates 66 percent higher levels of fine particle pollution than stopping and re-starting the engine.
Diesel exhaust particles can pose serious health risks, including aggravating the symptoms of asthma and other respiratory problems, especially in children, according to the EPA.
The EPA is encouraging school bus operators to reduce pollution levels by establishing idling reduction programs and anti-caravanning practices, ensuring proper maintenance of engines, and replacing and retrofitting older buses.
For more information, visit EPA's Clean School Bus USA Website at http://www.epa.gov/region02/cleanschoolbus/.
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