While those yellow buses are the safest way to get our kids to school every day, millions of children in America still ride old school buses that emit unhealthy diesel exhaust fumes. There is no warning sign on the back of diesel school buses indicating that black smoke from the tailpipe could be hazardous to children’s health, but there should be. Diesel fumes can cause or exacerbate asthma, lung disease, and cancer, and have even been linked to premature death.
A “big win,” the transportation bill passed in 2005 included the creation of the National Clean School Bus Grant Program. In his fiscal year 2007 budget request, the president requested $50 million in grant funds to clean up polluting diesel school buses and other equipment. This represents marked progress from the current Ad Hoc School Bus grant program that received only $7.5 million. Unfortunately, the President has requested $35 million in cuts to state air programs that help implement key diesel cleanup programs. He will contact his senators and ask them to sign letters supporting the administration’s full budget for diesel and school bus emission reductions while restoring funding for key state air quality programs. State by state:
What is your state rating? For details on these grades, please read the Contamination Report Card.
CONDITION: SOOTHING DEGREE OF CONTAMINATION:
CLEANING PROGRAM RANGE:
SMOG POLLUTION RANGE:
These are the degrees awarded to each state:
Alabama-B/Alaska-B /Arizona-D /Arkansas-D /California-C /Colorado-D /Connecticut-B /Delaware-B /District of Columbia-B /Florida-C /Georgia-C /Hawaii-D / Idaho-C /Illinois-C /Indiana-B /Iowa-C /Kansas-C /Kentucky-C /Louisiana-D /Maine-B /Maryland B /Massachusetts B /Michigan C /Minnesota D /Mississippi-C /Missouri- B /Montana-D /Nebraska-D /Nevada-B /New Hampshire-C /New Jersey-B /New Mexico-C /New York-B/North Carolina-C/North Dakota-C /Ohio-C / Oklahoma-D /Oregon-C /Pennsylvania-B/Rhode Island-C /South Carolina-D /South Dakota-D /Tennessee-B
Texas-C /Utah-D /Vermont-C /Virginia-C Washington-D /West Virginia-C /Wisconsin-C /Wyoming-B .
