The MMSD and participating partners have been awarded a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for $291,470 to support the procurement and installation of pollution control mufflers in 300 school buses.

Part of the "Clean School Bus USA" EPA program, this grant project involves a consortium of 14 school districts and five private bus companies in southern and central Wisconsin. The MMSD is the project leader and fiscal agent. All 14 of the districts participating in this project contract with private bus companies, rather than owning their own fleets, to provide student transportation services.

253 of the school buses will be retrofitted with diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC) and 47 buses will receive crankcase filtration systems (CFS). The DOCs will be installed in that segment of older buses in each fleet that are likely to be in service for at least another five years.

The DOCs and CFSs will be installed within the next 12 months.

According to the EPA, the installation of DOCs can reduce hydrocarbons by 50%, carbon monoxide by 40% and particulate matter (PM) by 20%.

"This Clean School Bus USA grant is part of EPA's effort to get rid of that all-too-familiar black puff of diesel smoke and reduce the harmful health effects of diesel emissions," said Tom Skinner, administrator of EPA Region 5.

This grant — one of 37 grants worth $7.5 million recently announced by the EPA — is the only one awarded in Wisconsin.

The MMSD will be responsible for competitively procuring the DOC and CFS equipment, while each participating bus company will be responsible for installation and maintenance of the retrofit equipment.

"The grant request took place because of the initiative of Renee Bremer and Jeff Fedler in our transportation office," said Madison School Superintendent Art Rainwater. "We're glad to be working with such a large partnership on this important clean air effort."

Wright Middle School students conducted an experiment at the time of the grant announcement. They placed a white sock over the exhaust pipe of a school bus. Particulate matter dirtied the sock above to this extent in just five minutes.

Jeff Fedler (left) and Renee Bremer of the MMSD Transportation Office received congratulations from EPA regional administrator Tom Skinner for the grant that will allow 300 buses in southern and central Wisconsin to receive pollution control mufflers. Bremer and Fedler led the effort to write the grant and involve the other school district and bus company partners.

Related MMSD Links

• MMSD News Release: EPA grant will reduce exposure to school bus diesel exhaust