Louisiana Clean Fuels wants school boards across the state to apply for a federal grant to replace eligible diesel-fueled school buses. LCF is a Baton-Rouge based nonprofit that encourages organizations to convert their fleet vehicles to alternative fuels and reduce their petroleum use.

Ann Shaneyfelt, LCF executive director and clean cities coordinator, said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will open the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act School Bus Replacement Funding Opportunity sometime this fall. Shaneyfelt said the EPA launched a pilot bus rebate program in 2012 and awarded $2 million to school boards nationwide, resulting in the replacement of about 80 diesel-fueled buses.

“The basis of this program is to try to take these old, dirty diesel buses off the road completely,” Shaneyfelt said. “The diesel buses must be replaced with something that is cleaner, like propane-fueled buses.”

According to Shaneyfelt, the EPA anticipates awarding $3 million in rebates in 2014 to public and private schools with buses that meet certain criteria. Recipients, she said, will be chosen by a lottery system. School systems that are awarded funds to replace buses must certify that the old diesel bus engine has been destroyed. Other bus parts can be recycled or sold, she said.

“Diesel fumes have been proven to be carcinogenic, so they can cause cancer,” Shaneyfelt said. “We also have an ozone problem in many parts of the state. Propane is a good alternative fuel for school buses because they are much cleaner and affordable for school boards.”

Shaneyfelt said Louisiana school systems should visit the EPA’s website, examine their fleets and, if any of their buses qualify, apply for the grant. She said the application is short and simple. LCF can give guidance and assist in the process, but school boards have to be the applicants for grant funds, she said.

Calcasieu Parish school system spokeswoman Kirby Smith said the district’s grant consultant is reviewing the specifics of the program to see if Calcasieu is eligible to apply. Smith said the district operates about 325 buses each day and that most of their fleet is diesel fueled.

“There are so many benefits to propane-fueled buses,” Shaneyfelt said. “It’s for air quality purposes, so it’s cleaner for the children, it’s good for national security, it’s domestically produced so it helps the local economy and, in the long run, fleets will save money because these fuels are cheaper.”

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Online: http://epa.gov/cleandiesel/dera-rebate-schoolbus14.htm; http://louisianacleanfuels.org.(MGNonline)