State Air Rule Favors Diesel Transit Buses

25 February 2000

         Retreat From Natural Gas Buses Is a Setback for Cleaner Fuel
                            And Urban Air Quality

    SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 24 -- A new State air pollution
control rule originally intended to encourage wider use of natural gas fuel in
urban bus fleets now appears likely to assure the continued use of diesel
buses, despite concerns about diesel exhaust's health risks and the uncertain
technologies proposed to reduce them.
    The California Air Resources Board (ARB) voted today in favor of new
emission standards for transit buses to be phased in over ten years. The rules
allow transit agencies to choose to continue buying diesel buses, if they
agree to upgrade older buses with soot filters beginning in 2004 and to
maintain a declining average pollution level across their entire fleet. Three
large urban transit districts will also be required to demonstrate nine
advanced fuel cell buses each beginning in 2003.
    Should transit fleets opt to acquire much cleaner natural gas buses under
the rule, their upgrade requirements for older buses are postponed by two
years, and fuel cell buses will not be required until 2010. However, some
transit agencies are reluctant to undertake the retraining and fuel-switching
costs associated with compressed natural gas (CNG).
    At a January hearing on the rule, air quality officials in the severely
polluted Los Angeles Basin and San Joaquin Valley had asked ARB for specific
recognition and authority to require the cleaner CNG buses in those regions.
ARB declined to provide it today, citing separate authorities under state law
that presumably allow local decision-making bodies to undertake such rules.
    The Engine Manufacturers Association, Western States Petroleum Association
and California Chamber of Commerce all endorsed ARB's decision, while the
natural gas vehicle industry, environmentalists, public health groups and some
regional air quality officials believe that the public interest has been
unnecessarily short-changed by the decision.
    "Over a thousand natural gas buses are proven pollution fighters in
California transit," said Greg Vlasek, executive director of the
California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition. "It's disheartening that ARB is
willing to bet the future on speculative reductions in toxic diesel exhaust,
spread over ten years, when CNG buses are already making the grade."
    In August 1998, ARB officially resolved to encourage the use of CNG in
transit and school bus fleets, based on emissions and performance data that
still stands today. ARB also urged regional authorities to spend their federal
transportation dollars on CNG buses and fueling infrastructure. Today's
decision contained only traces of the strident commitment from that earlier
Board resolution.