Air Pollution Problem Gets Thrown Under The Bus
LAYTON – The Daily Herald is reporting that Layton representative Steve Handy is focusing his 2015 legislative agenda on working to convert large vehicles from running on diesel to compressed natural gas. Handy, a Republican, hopes to enact a bill that would reduce pollutant emissions by addressing the most significant sources on the road: school buses, personal vehicles, and semi-trucks. His top priority for 2015 is the Clean Fuel School Buses bill, HB49, which will grant money to school districts for the conversion of school buses to alternative fuel vehicles.
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“We have already had tremendous publicity for this bill and will continue to have it going forward. It will have a fairly major impact on the air quality in Utah,” Handy said. According to the Daily Herald, the bill is designed to target the replacement of diesel-powered buses manufactured before 2002 with compressed natural gas (CNG) or other forms of clean fuel. “There is no silver bullet on this thing. We have 2,500 school buses, 1,000 of them are 15-years-old and we simply have an underfunded public school system,” Handy said.
Governor Gary Herbert expressed his support for the the proposal in 2014 legislative session and allocated money for it in his budget for further implementation, according to Alan Matheson, Herbert’s environmental advisor.
A school district or charter school that meets the set criteria can apply to receive a grant. The funds, which will be disbursed by the State Board of Education, will go towards replacing the buses and installing alternative fuel stations.
“Who isn’t an advocate of clean air?” asked Handy. “It’s going to be important for the public to be informed and get involved by going to their local representatives. It will come down to getting the money.”
To see the text of the bill, follow the link below.
