State to get 4 hybrid school buses
By Yvonne Wenger
COLUMBIA — The federal government will give South Carolina more than $550,000 to put four new hybrid-electric school buses on the road and help cut pollution from old diesel buses.
The low-emission hybrid buses will be the only new school buses added to the state-owned fleet this year, after the recession pushed a 15-year school-bus-replacement cycle by the wayside, Donald Tudor, transportation director for the Education Department, said Tuesday.
The Post and Courier
Katie McClure, Contracts Administrator for the Charleston County School District, checks over one of the twenty-five Buses the District recieved.
At least one of the new buses will be assigned to Charleston County.
"It's the realization that the state doesn't have the funding to be replacing school buses," Tudor said.
"We continue to ask, but we understand why the answer is, 'You have to continue to wait.' "
A 2007 investigative series by The Post and Courier, "School Bus Breakdown," revealed that South Carolina's school buses are the oldest, most-polluting and least safe in the nation.
The state would have to replace about 380 new buses annually for its 5,700 bus fleet to stay on the replacement cycle, Tudor said.
Because of budget cuts the replacement cycle has been fully funded just one time, in 2007, the year it passed.
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No state money has gone toward the replacements during the past two years.
Dramatically falling tax collections forced lawmakers to cut more than $1 billion in state spending in the last year.
The state will put up about $68,000 toward the purchases of the hybrid buses, and the rest of the nearly $137,000 cost per bus will be covered by the grant.
"Every dollars helps," Tudor said. "What we get from federal and state sources will assist us in keeping the fleet as up-to-date as possible and helping us make it as environmentally sensitive as possible."
The federal grant comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The second half of the funds will be used to retrofit existing buses with cleaner technology.
About 500 of the state's 1995 model buses will get new ventilation filtration systems to result in an estimated 4.7-ton reduction in diesel emissions.
"This is a significant step given the number of older, more polluting buses that we still have in our state fleet," Superintendent of Education Jim Rex said.
"These retrofits will cut down on exhaust and soot that can pose health risks to adults and children alike."
The grant builds on efforts to cut pollution, including a $244,500 Clean School Bus USA grant the state received last year, and about $500,000 it received under the same program in 2006.
Reach Yvonne Wenger at 803-799-9051 or ywenger@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
newbattleaxe (anonymous) says...
One major way to cut down on school bus pollution is to turn the buses off if they are going to be idling for more than 5 minutes when the outside temperatures are 70 or above.
It's really sad to see 10-15 buses just sitting in front of a school for 10-15 min., waiting to either discharge or pick up their passengers, with all those engines idling. I've seen this not once or twice, but on a regular basis outside a school in Summerville.
July 8, 2009 at 8:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
I predict additional unforseen costs in the upkeep on these buses. Thank you, feds. Hint to state government: Nothing the feds give you is free.
July 8, 2009 at 8:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
GeneralSumter (anonymous) says...
$137,000 per bus!? That seems quite high considering there's only lap belts, minimal air conditioning, and a bunch of vinyl covered benches. Couldn't we have negotiated a better deal?
July 8, 2009 at 8:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
shoelaces (anonymous) says...
THIS should pull up our kids' test scores!!!!
July 8, 2009 at 9:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ColdBud (anonymous) says...
Battery life on hybrids is about 5 years. Replacement cost is about $5,000 per battery. These buses will have a planned service life of 15 to 20 years (based on history). You do the math...
While I understand the desire to go green... hybrids, with current technology, are a losing situation for the vehicle owner. Yes, it may be nice to get better than average (notice I didn't say great) fuel mileage, but when you get ready to trade or sell your hybrid, it'll be due for a new battery. Who's going to buy your used car that requires an immediate $5000 investment? No one.
July 8, 2009 at 9:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Edwin435 (anonymous) says...
Our tax dollars at work......
July 8, 2009 at 10:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
UrGatorbait (anonymous) says...
How do they dispose of the batteries in an environmental fashion? Don't prices usually rise? So that battery replacement will cost ya more? What if something new and more efficient comes along? Details.....
July 8, 2009 at 11:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Charles_Town (anonymous) says...
It is a great idea, but not practical with today's technology yet. The focus should be on conservation as some have pointed out: turning off when idle for more than 5 minutes, alter some routes to save on fuel, only grant students parking places at the school if they carpool with at least one other student.
July 8, 2009 at 11:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ccudc (anonymous) says...
How is this stimulating the economy, the EPA is getting funds from the the ARRA. Where will the retrofitting of existing buses take place? Besides once the retrofitting is over what will happen to those jobs? I think there could be a better way to create job growth, and not rely on a technology that is not yet perfected. Isn't diesel one of the cleanest burning fuels that are out there?
July 8, 2009 at 12:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ColdBud (anonymous) says...
The retrofitting is taking place is SCDOE School bus shops by already employed technicians. I don't think they are creating new jobs to complete the retrofitting and no jubs should be lost after retrofitting is complete. They are just installing crankcase ventilation systems.
July 8, 2009 at 2:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TheTruthFighter (anonymous) says...
Bio-diesel would have helped this issue!
July 8, 2009 at 8:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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