The County Board of Supervisors, sitting as the County’s Air Pollution Control District Board, authorized the application for $1.2 million in Air Pollution funds to help the School District reduce air pollution from older, inefficient diesel engines on school buses, while at the same time upgrading the school bus fleet.
 

The County’s Air Pollution Control Officer, Dr. Charles Mosher, discussed the program with the Board on April 8^th.  Under the program which the Health Department administers, Dr. Mosher indicated that the sum is going to be used either for replacement of buses or to retrofit old buses.  Buses in existence prior to 1977 should, under the program, be replaced, whereas newer buses can either be replaced or have the engines retrofitted to reduce diesel emissions.

The air pollution rationale behind the program is to reduce the emission of what the State considers a toxic air contaminant, diesel smoke, which is much more polluting in older engines than in newer diesel engines.  The additional benefit for Mariposa County is the availability of these funds to upgrade the School District’s school bus fleet.

Bob Morse, fleet manager for the School District, in conversation with Dr. Mosher, indicated his initial plan would be to use all of the funding to replace old school buses, perhaps the most efficient way to reduce diesel emissions and obviously a great benefit to the students and administration of the School District.  The replacement of the fleet should take place over the next year and a half.

Charles B. Mosher, MD, MPH, Health Officer

Mariposa County Air Pollution Control Officer