Cincinnatti Enquirer
December 02, 2005

SCHOOLS IMPLEMENT NO-IDLING POLICY FOR BUSES

By Sarah Hardee

Alexandria, Ohio -- When Campbell County School District bus drivers
waited to pick up students from school Thursday, their buses' engines
were not running.

Because of a unanimous decision of the school board Monday, drivers
now adhere to a policy that limits idling of school buses on district
campuses. The policy will reduce diesel fuel exhaust, said Ted
Roseberry, the district's director of transportation. As an added
benefit, the district will save about $5,000 annually in fuel costs,
he said.

"This new policy will make a huge impact on the health of our
students," said Roseberry. "It will also help the county meet EPA
standards."

School board member Rich Mason said it was an easy decision.

"By not having all those buses idling all at once, it eliminates that
big pocket of pollution," he said. "It is better for the environment,
has a positive impact on our kids and results in fuel savings. ...
It's really a win-win."

Both Mason and Roseberry said the district is happy to be at the
forefront of the initiative. They also said they are happy to have a
cold air exception to the policy, so that drivers can leave buses
running in extreme weather situations.

Campbell County is the second school district in Northern Kentucky to
implement such a policy. The Kenton County School Board approved a
similar policy in July. John Lyons, director of the Environmental and
Public Protection Cabinet's division for air quality, said the
division encourages other school districts to follow their lead.

"It's a children's health issue," Lyons said. "This is something we
are trying to advertise to all the school districts in the state
because it is such a simple program."

The anti-idling program could also help Campbell County Schools
receive grant funding to help reduce diesel emissions, Lyons said. The
district is in contention for a federal grant that would retrofit its
bus fleet with diesel emission control devices, he said.

"This is important to us.... We are already looking for other ways to
further reduce diesel emissions," Roseberry said. "The safety of our
kids is our No. 1 priority."

Copyright 2005