Utah Clean Cities

EESI honored Durham, NC's Public Schools for its leadership in establishing fleet-wide use of biodiesel, fueling its 325 buses with more than 600,000 gallons of B20, a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and standard petroleum diesel, during the 2003-2004 school year; Salt Lake City's Jordan School District and Salt Lake Clean Cities Coalition for their leadership in promoting a cultural awareness of alternative fuels and technologies, working together to clean up the school district's bus fleet and integrate an innovative alternative fuels curriculum into the district's drivers education program; and Knoxville, TN's Area Transit for its leadership in exploring innovative emissions reduction strategies, using alternative fuels in 80 percent of its fleet.

EESI also recognized Oakland, CA's Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District for its leadership in investing in and developing advanced technologies; Seattle, WA's King County Metro Transit for its leadership in investing in advanced technologies and emissions reduction strategies; and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection for its leadership in developing a statewide clean school bus campaign.

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY STUDY INSTITUTE
122 C Street, NW Suite 630 • Washington, DC 20001-2109
202-628-1400 
http://www.eesi.org

Jordan School District and Salt Lake Clean Cities Coalition Recognized as National Clean Bus Leaders

Washington, D.C., October 26, 2004: The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) today recognizes Jordan School District and Salt Lake Clean Cities Coalition as National Clean Bus Leaders for 2004. Jordan and Salt Lake Clean Cities are recognized jointly and join five other organizations recognized for their leadership in promoting clean buses for 2004.

Jordan School District, working with Salt Lake Clean Cities has demonstrated its leadership with a two-pronged approach that promotes a cultural awareness of the importance of alternative fueling among educators, students, parents, and employees. In 2004, Jordan received ten compressed natural gas (CNG) school buses to increase its total to 30 and move it closer to its goal of fueling its entire fleet with alternative fuels. The funding for this year’s buses came in the form of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean School Bus USA grant, written by Salt Lake Clean Cities Director Beverly Miller. Miller estimates that Jordan’s 30 CNG buses will now displace approximately 33,000 gallons of diesel annually, and by burning significantly cleaner, will prevent nearly 250 tons of emissions from entering the atmosphere each year.

Jordan is also beginning to implement an alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) curriculum into its drivers education program. Salt Lake Clean Cities developed the curriculum, Fueling the Future, with the Salt Lake-based National Energy Foundation. The curriculum provides students with an understanding of the range of alternative fuels currently employed, and their relative environmental benefits. The curriculum also employs two natural gas fueled Honda Civic GXs and a CNG refueling station, allowing students first-hand experience with AFVs. Fueling the Future is currently being taught at West Jordan High School and is being implemented at Alta High School. Jordan ultimately plans to incorporate the curriculum district wide.

Also being recognized this year are King County Metro Transit (Seattle, Washington), Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (Oakland, California), the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Durham Public Schools (Durham, North Carolina), and Knoxville Area Transit (Knoxville, Tennessee). Initiatives represented range from a $20 million hydrogen fuel cell demonstration program to a statewideclean school bus campaign.

The National Clean Bus Leadership Recognition Program was initiated in 2003 by EESI to highlight the leadership of local initiatives to bring cleaner buses to America’s communities and toremove America’s dirtiest diesel buses from our roadways. This program is part of the Clean Bus Project,initiated with the goal of encouraging the deployment of cleaner fuels and advanced vehicle technologiesby strengthening support for local, regional, state, and national ‘clean bus’ initiatives that have recognizedthe environmental and health impacts of conventional diesel buses, and are working towards cleaner transportation practices.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute is a non-profit organization established in 1984 by a bipartisan, bicameral group of members of Congress to provide information on energy and environmental policy issues and develop innovative policy solutions.

More information, including the case study for Jordan School District and Salt Lake Clean Cities
Coalition, is available on the National Clean Bus Leadership Recognition Program’s website: http://www.eesi.org/programs/cleanbus/leadership/index.htm