DC school bus idling and emissions laws and action

DC SCHOOL BUS IDLING AND EMISSIONS
LAWS AND ACTION

SCHOOL BUS IDLING POSES A SUBSTANTIAL HEALTH RISK TO CHILDREN.
THERE ARE DC AND FEDERAL LAWS IN PLACE TO PROTECT OUR KIDS...
BUT THEY ARE NOT BEING ENFORCED!

REDUCING SCHOOL BUS IDLING

HIGH SCHOOL ANTI-IDLING CAMPAIGN

> ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE COMES FROM THE EPA, DC GOV AND OTHER RELIABLE SOURCES <

Diesel exhaust from idling school buses can accumulate in and around the bus and pose a health risk to children, drivers and the community at large. Exposure to diesel exhaust can cause lung damage and respiratory problems.
Diesel exhaust also exacerbates asthma and existing allergies, and long-term exposure is thought to increase the risk of lung cancer.
Idling buses also waste fuel and financial resources.

THE CHILDSAFE SCHOOL: NO IDLING ZONE

Air pollution from diesel exhaust has health implications for everyone, but children are more susceptible to this pollution because they breathe 50 percent more air per pound of body weight than do adults. Additionally, because their respiratory systems are still developing and they have a faster breathing rate. Diesel exhaust contains significant levels of particles, known as fine particulate matter, which are so small that several thousand can fit on the period at the end of this sentence. These fine particles pose a significant heath risk because they can pass through the nose and throat and lodge in the lungs, causing lung damage and premature death. Particulate matter is responsible for thousands of premature deaths every year. Diesel exhaust also contains smog-forming and toxic pollutants. Exposure to these pollutants is associated with increased frequency of childhood illness.

IDLE THREAT

EPA has determined that diesel exhaust is a likely human carcinogen and can contribute to other acute and chronic health concerns. Children, the elderly and people with existing heart and lung disease, asthma, bronchitis or other respiratory problems are most sensitive to the health effects of fine particles.

ANTI-IDLING COMMERCIAL

ANTI-IDLING CAMPAIGN

Vehicles emit VOC's (volatile organic compounds) and nitrogen dioxide. Ground level ozone forms when chemical reactions occur between VOC's and nitrogen dioxide on hot sunny days (humidity increases the amount of ozone produced). Ground level ozone, even at very low levels, can cause acute respiratory problems, significant decreases in lung capacity (15% - 20%) in some healthy adults, and inflammation of lung tissue. It also aggrevates asthma. 10% - 20% of all summertime respiratory-related hospital visits in the northeastern U.S. are associated with ozone pollution.

Idling school buses can pollute air in and around the bus. Exhaust from the buses can also enter school buildings through air intakes, doors, and open windows. When buses idle in the school yard, the exhaust can pollute the air inside the school building and pose a health risk for the children throughout the day...

IT'S NOT COOL - TO IDLE AT SCHOOL.

DC Anti-Idling Regulations and Laws - apples to Diesel and Gasoline Vehicles
Idling Time Limit: 3 minutes (5 minutes if less than 32 degrees)
Fine: $500. (fines double for each subsequent violation)

ANTI-IDLING CAMPAIGN

ANTI-IDLING PROGRAM

ANTI-IDLING LAWS MEAN NOTHING IF THEY ARE NOT BEING ENFORCED

WHAT ARE THE ANTI-IDLING LAWS ARE IN YOUR AREA?
ARE THEY BEING ENFORCED AT YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL? IF NOT, RAISE AWARENESS AND ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
IN ORDER TO MAKE AN IMPACT
THESE LAWS NEEDS TO BE ENFORCED.

ANTI-IDLING PSA

The EPA website provides - for free - brochures, posters, teacher guides, pledge cards and "do-it-yourself" kits to bring the anti-idling campaign to your school. Click HERE.

Sustain and expand your idling reduction program by recognizing drivers who successfully reduce idling.
- Award drivers with a certificate of recognition.
- Ask local business, non-profits working on clean air, or parent/teacher organizations to donate gift certificates or other items to reward bus drivers who successfully reduce idling.

GET RICH REPORTING IDLING

DIESEL POLLUTION, SCHOOL BUSES AND CHILDREN'S HEALTH

NO IDLING - YOUNG LUNGS AT WORK

No one wants their children breathing exhaust, and yet a great deal of idling takes place at schools, where buses and cars line up to drop off and pick up children. And children are especially susceptible to the harmful effects of vehicle exhaust.
Consider the following:

- Children breathe 50 percent more air per pound than adults.
- Asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15.
- Children’s asthma symptoms increase as a result of exhaust.
- Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children and the cause of most school absences.
- Exposure to vehicle exhaust increases the risk of death from heart and lung disease and lung cancer.
- Children are shorter than adults – nearer to the tailpipes of vehicles and the area where soot is most concentrated.
- Fine particles linger in the air inside and around the schools and their playgrounds for hours after buses leave.
- Children’s lungs are still developing and when they are exposed to elevated levels of these pollutants, children have an increased risk of developing asthma, respiratory problems and other adverse health effects.
- One minute of idling produces more carbon monoxide than the
smoke from 3 packs of cigarettes.
- Carbon monoxide reduces the flow of oxygen in the bloodstream and is particularly dangerous to persons with heart disease.
- Prenatal exposure to combustion byproducts lowers children's IQ, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH).
- NRDC tests showed air quality is eight times worse inside a school bus than outdoor air.
- About 21,000 premature deaths are attributed to air pollution in Canada each year. (Canadian Medical Association)

ANTI-IDLING LAWS

DC ANTI-IDLING LAW
METRO AREA LAWS
REGIONAL EPA LAWS
OVERVIEW OF STATE LAWS
LAWS AROUND NATION

RESOURCES

EPA DOWNLOADS
EPA ORDER FORM
MORE RESOURCES

ADVOCATES

DADS AGAINST DIRTY AIR
EPA CLEAN SCHOOL BUS
I TURN IT OFF
TURN YOUR ENGINE OFF
EARTH DAY NETWORK

LESSON PLANS

GRADE 1
GRADE 2
GRADES 3-5 - LESSON 1
GRADES 3-5 - LESSON 2
GRADES 6-8 - LESSON 1
GRADES 6-8 - LESSON 2

WASTEBUSTERS - IDLING MYTHS

THE RIGHT TO BREATHE

Workers exposed to diesel exhaust face the risks of health effects ranging from irritation of the eyes and nose, headaches and nausea, to respiratory disease and lung cancer. Workers have a right to a safe workplace. The law requires employers to provide their employees with safe and healthful workplaces. The OSHA law also prohibits employers from retaliating against employees for exercising their rights under the law (including the right to raise a health or safety concern). MORE

IDLING GETS YOU NOWHERE

ANTI-IDLING

IDLING SUCKS!

ANTI-IDLING CAMPAIGN

TURN YOUR KEY - BE IDLE FREE. IT'S THE LAW.

SCHOOL BUS IDLING

2015 NYC ANTI-IDLING
REPORTER REWARD BILL

SCHOOL BUSES GO IDLE-FREE

IDLING IS FUELISH

EPA FINES SCHOOL BUS OPERATOR $438,000. FOR EXCESSIVE IDLING - see HERE
EPA FINES SCHOOL BUS OPERATOR $33,000. FOR IDLING - see HERE
SCHOOL BUS OPERATOR TO PAY $450,000. FOR UNNECESSARY IDLING - HERE
EPA FINES SCHOOL BUS OPERATOR $166,000 FOR IDLING - see HERE
SCHOOL BUS OPERATOR FINED $35,000. FOR IDLING - see HERE
BUS OPERATOR FINED $128,000 PLUS OVER $1 MILLION PENALTYS - HERE
DC DEPLOYS 'STRIKE TEAM' URGING DRIVERS NOT TO IDLE - see HERE
ANTI-IDLING SAVES FLEET $1,500. TO $2,000. PER MONTH - see HERE

New York City has reduced the allowed idle time for school buses from 3 minutes to 1 minute.

In New York state a first-time idling violation can bring a fine up to $15,000.

In Virginia: 10 minutes of idling in a residential or commercial zone carries a fine up to $25,000.

In Denver: 10 minutes of idling in an hour will bring a fine of $999 and/or one-year imprisonment.

In Utah a first-time idling violation brings a $1,000 fine and/or up to six months in prison.

In Philadelphia the Clean Air Council crowdsources citizens to help enforce idling laws by providing an easy way to report violations though a web-based tool at idlefreephilly.org. see HERE

New York City lawmakers want to recruit everyday New Yorkers to help battle the scourge of idling vehicles by paying them for video footage that results in fines. see HERE

"No Idling" It's the law!
• Take action and stop unnecessary idling!
• Spread the word to family, friends, neighbors and school bus drivers.
• Encourage your school to post No Idling signs and sign a No Idling pledge.

PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS, THE EPA IS USING FEDERAL LAW TO GO AFTER EMISSION CRIME EVERYWHERE:

1998 - HONDA AND FORD ARE FINED 12.6 MILLION + FOR VIOLATING CLEAN AIR ACT - more HERE

2013 - EDGE PRODUCTS AGREES TO PAY $500,000 FINE FOR EMISSIONS EVADING DEVICE - see HERE

CUMMINS - AUTO ENGINE MAKER FINED $2.1 MILLION FOR EMISSIONS VIOLATIONS - more HERE

2014 - EPA FINES HYUNDI, KIA $100 MILLION FOR UNDER-REPORTING EMISSIONS - see HERE

7/2015 - EPA FINES NAVISTAR - TRUCK MAKER - OVER $300 MILLION FOR VIOLATING EMISSIONS. see HERE

2016 - VW is FACING $18 BILLION IN FINES FOR EVADING EMISSION LAWS. see HERE

WHERE TO NEXT?

WHO IS WASHINGTON DC? GOING OUT IN DC THINGS TO DO IN DC FLASHBACK NOSTALGIA

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