Idling School Buses – Frequently Asked Questions

What is an “idling school bus”?

An idling school bus is a school bus that is parked at a school or other parking lot and has its engine running.

Do idling school buses create a problem?

Yes, it’s a problem of air pollution and how people are affected by that pollution. Within all Westchester County School Districts (WCSD’s), a lot of buses go to the schools at the same time to drop off and pick up students. These buses operate on diesel fuel. Diesel engines produce large amounts of air pollution, which is inhaled by children, bus drivers, teachers, school administrators, and anyone else who is near the buses. Excess exhaust levels on school buses are more than eight times the average levels found in the ambient air, and between 23 and 46 times higher than levels considered to be a significant cancer risk. The exhaust also lingers and then enters the school with the students through the school doors and windows. This exposure is compounded when all the buses are at the school dropping off and picking up children.

Is diesel exhaust really bad for you or does it just have a strong odor?

Yes, diesel exhaust poses serious health concerns. Diesel exhaust contains over forty hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), with several being known carcinogens. In fact, the United State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified twenty-one chemicals in truck and bus exhaust that are known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects. These include chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and 1,3 butadiene. As a result, EPA has classified diesel exhaust particles (DEP) as a probable human carcinogen. There is no known safe level of diesel exposure for children.

Are children at risk from inhaling bus exhaust?

Yes. Children are especially vulnerable to air pollution because their lungs are continually developing. Smaller particles penetrate children’s narrower air passages and lodge deep within the lungs. Children breathe at a higher rate – 50 percent more air per pound of body weight than adults – and this can lead to more exposure. Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism for chronic illness, and the exhaust from school buses can trigger asthma attacks. School bus exhaust can also trigger and exacerbate allergies. Not only are children exposed to diesel exhaust when they are outside of the buses, but diesel exhaust also enters the buses when children are loading and unloading. This means that the first children loaded on the bus and the last children unloaded from the bus are the most exposed.

Is the concern only for children?

No. Anyone else who is near the idling buses is at risk. This includes bus drivers, teachers, and school administrators. Adults with underlying heart disease are particularly at risk. Studies have shown that a forty-percent increase in fine particles (diesel emissions are a prime component) in just one hour can elevate the risk of a second heart attack. Bus drivers’ exposure is even higher than children’s because they are on the bus for longer periods.

Is it hard to start a bus after it ’s been turned off?

No. While that may have been true years ago, it is no longer. With today’s technology, a properly maintained bus will have no problem starting up.

Don’t the buses need to be kept on for heat and air conditioning?

No. Westchester County school buses are not equipped with air conditioners. In fact, this increases exposure because the windows are open, allowing diesel fumes to come into the bus more easily. In the winter months, the heaters are on during operation of the buses – heat is simply not necessary for embarking or disembarking. Bus drivers can easily don coats for their comfort.

Is there a law that applies to idling buses?

Yes. Regulations adopted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) require buses and trucks that weigh more than 8,500 lbs to turn off their engines after five minutes. The penalties for violating this law can be steep – ranging from $250 to $15,000. The New York Attorney General recently prosecuted fleet owners in New York City for violating this idling law. There are some exceptions to the regulation – such as when a vehicle is mixing concrete or unloading cargo or running an engine for maintenance – but none of the exceptions apply to school bus drop off and pick up at the schools within WCSD’s.

Should we require the Westchester County school buses do more than follow the five-minute idling limit?

Yes. WCSD’s should adopt a no idle policy for drop off and pick up of students. As soon as a bus pulls into the unloading and loading area, the bus driver should turn off its engine and not turn it back on until the children are in the school building and the bus is leaving the area.

Will turning off the buses cost the school district money?

No. In fact, the District will save money. With the adoption of an anti-idling policy, EPA estimates that a district with only a fleet of 50 buses would save up to $2,250 per year in reduced fuel costs. Additionally, since school aid formulas are measured in part on school absenteeism, any effort to reduce school absenteeism will benefit the District.

Is there anything else that can be done to make the buses less polluting?

Yes. Westchester County School Districts should retire/replace all buses purchased before 1991 and should retrofit all buses purchased between 1991 and 2005. The retrofits could include installation of diesel oxidation catalysts and diesel particulate matter filters. BCSD is to be commended for its efforts to date. In addition, the Westchester County School Districts should continue to look for funding streams to retrofit our buses.

In sum, what can Westchester County School Districts do about the idling school bus problem?

1. Adopt a no idling policy – and enforce it.
2. Post signs at each school with the message: “Shut off the buses, we’re breathing!”
3. Instruct all bus drivers to turn off their engines during drop off and pick up.

In addition to idle-free school zones, what else should WCSD’s do to reduce air pollution from diesel buses?

1. Continue to seek funding for retrofitting buses.
2. Procure a variety of diesel fuel that meets ultra-low sulfur (15 ppm) specifications.
3. Replace all older (pre-1997) buses.
4. When school districts put out a Request for Bids (RFB), state that buses have to have the best available retrofit technology as a specification in the contract.
5. Allocate the cleanest buses to the longest routes.

Where can we obtain more information?

1. The United States Environmental Protection Agency website (with helpful links) entitled “Clean School Bus USA.” See www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus/antiidling.htm

2. A recent study conducted by Yale University and University of Connecticut researchers, details the effects of children’s exposure to diesel exhaust on School Buses. This study was commissioned by Environment and Human Health, Inc., a nonprofit organization comprised of doctors, public health professionals, and policy experts. See John Wargo et al., Children’s Exposure to Diesel Exhaust on School Buses (Feb. 2002). http://www.ehhi.org/diesel/.

3. Go the Healthy Air Task Force Report - www.ALANYS.org

FCWC thanks the Bethlehem (Albany area) School District for providing us with this information sheet.