Clean Air Double-Decker Buses Help the City (NYC not SF) ``Breathe Easy!'' This Summer
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Councilman Gennaro praises the partners for agreeing to retrofit the buses even before the Council introduced and passed Local Law 41, which as of January 2007 requires the installation of emission control technology on older diesel-powered sightseeing buses operating in the city. That law is part of a wider agenda to reduce pollutants from diesel emissions in the city, which has a childhood asthma rate among the highest in the nation. "Air pollution affects everyone who breathes our city's air, residents and tourists alike," said Gennaro. "I applaud Gray Line NY / Coach USA and Clean Air Communities for their leadership in helping to clean our air and make New York City a much greener place to visit and live."
Commissioner Emily Lloyd of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection concurs. "On behalf of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, I congratulate Gray Line NY / Coach USA and Clean Air Communities for making these investments to help keep our air clean," she said. "Vehicle exhaust is one the leading cause of air pollution in the tri-state region. The City of New York is a leader in clean air technology for vehicles of all types, with a municipal fleet with thousands of hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles, including those that run on compressed natural gas, methanol, ethanol, and electricity. Much of the City's diesel fleet is also fitted with particulate traps and uses ultra-low sulfur fuel. Gray Line NY / Coach USA is setting a great example by beating that deadline and providing cleaner air now, in the crucial summer months when pollution can be at its worst."
John C. Liu (D-Queens), Chair of the City Council's Transportation Committee, also supports the leadership shown in this project: "Efforts to reduce pollution by businesses are to be commended. Tourism is important to our economy, and these types of innovative vehicles are sure to make a favorable impression on visitors to our city. We will continue to encourage the use of environmentally friendly technology and hopefully inspire other industries to adopt them."
"Tourism is one of our city's most important industries, and Gray Line NY / Coach USA plays a valuable role in the success of that industry," said Assemblymember Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria). "Today Gray Line NY / Coach USA proves that it is also a responsible corporate citizen by taking steps to improve air quality while conducting its business. Clean Air Communities deserves our thanks for making this type of progress possible."
The city's official tourism marketing agency supports the partnership for clean air as well. "It is a pleasure to celebrate a NYC & Company member's contribution to both tourism and the environment in NYC," said Cristyne L. Nicholas, President and CEO. "Gray Line NY has, time and time again, been a responsible, proactive, and creative partner in the city's hospitality industry. This clean air initiative will significantly improve the quality of life for the 43 million visitors we expect this year. We take great pride in saluting Gray Line's commitment to clean air in New York City."
Tom Lewis, President of Gray Line New York Sightseeing, welcomed the opportunity to participate in the clean air demonstration project. "Having served visitors to New York City for 80 years, all of us at Gray Line New York, a Coach USA Company, are committed to providing environmental innovations and new visitor sightseeing experiences that contribute to the enhancement of tourism in the city."
Clean Air Communities teamed up with Cummins Metropower/Cummins Emission Solutions to install the innovative diesel particulate filters and with Sprague Energy to supply ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel for the fleet well in advance of the retrofit. The combination of advanced emission control technology and cleaner fuel removes more than 85 percent of the particulate matter (visible as soot) and gaseous pollutants emitted by the buses annually.
"Cummins commitment to product development has enabled us to remain on the forefront of clean air technology. We have utilized the complete integration of our after-treatment solution and our engine systems to provide emission solutions to various agencies throughout the tri-state area. Cummins and Cummins Metropower are proud to continually participate with partners like Gray Line NY / Coach USA and Clean Air Communities to provide cleaner air for our communities," said Whitfield Whylie, Vice President of Cummins Metropower.
"Clean air is important to everyone, particularly in New York City - one of the busiest and most dynamic places on earth," said John McClellan, President and CEO of Sprague Energy. "Sprague is proud to partner with Coach USA and Clean Air Communities to reduce emissions from the Gray Line tour buses, continuing our history of partnership with the many New York agencies pioneering the use of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel over the past six years."
The Gray Line NY / Coach USA project is one of fifteen emission reduction and energy efficiency projects undertaken in the last six years by Clean Air Communities (CAC), which is widely recognized for its environmental stewardship and support of collaborative partnerships to reduce urban air pollution in the five boroughs of New York City. Since its founding with an initial donation of $5 million from ConEdison, CAC has contributed $7 million to and leveraged another $4 million in matching funds for innovative projects. "CAC is proud to support clean tourism in the city that never sleeps and to create awareness that we can all make environmentally sound choices, not only in our daily lives, but also in how we spend our vacation dollars," according to Debbi Edelstein, CAC's Director.
The event culminates with a technology demonstration and opportunities for the press and public to ask questions.
ABOUT THE PARTNERS
Clean Air Communities (CAC)
CAC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to implementing air pollution reduction and energy efficiency strategies in New York City communities that are disproportionately affected by air pollution. CAC was established in 1999 as a collaborative effort of the Northeast States Center for a Clean Air Future (NESCCAF), Natural Resources Defense Council, and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, with an initial donation of $5 million from ConEdison. Since its inception, CAC has contributed $7 million to and leveraged another $4 million in matching funds for projects ranging from advanced truck stop electrification at Hunts Point Cooperative Market in the Bronx to a microturbine cogeneration project at Clinton Hill Apartments in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. For its groundbreaking partnership approach and impressive benefits to the community, CAC was honored with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Excellence Award in 2002 and with one of the first Environmental Excellence Awards by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in 2005. See www.cleanaircommunities.org.
Gray Line New York Sightseeing
Gray Line New York Sightseeing operates double-decker buses, motorcoaches, trolleys, and mini-buses throughout New York City and is a subsidiary of Coach USA, a Stagecoach Group Company. Gray Line has been operating sightseeing and ground transportation services since 1926, offering everything from daily tours to special event planning, and is one of the largest bus operators in the region. Please visit: www.newyorksightseeing.com.
Cummins Inc.
Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana (USA), Cummins serves customers in more than 160 countries through its network of 550 company-owned and independent distributor facilities and more than 5,000 dealer locations. Cummins reported net income of $550 million on sales of $9.9 billion in 2005. Press releases can be found at www.cummins.com.
Cummins Metropower is the exclusive distributor for Cummins engines and Cummins Power Generation in downstate New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and the Bermuda islands. We offer 24-hour/7-day availability to serve our customer needs. Please visit www.metropower.cummins.com.
Sprague Energy
Founded in 1870 as a supplier of coal and oil, Sprague Energy has evolved into the Eastern Seaboard's leading resource for industrial, commercial, space heating and transportation fuels, as well as materials handling services. Sprague distributes more than 60 million barrels of petroleum products, 135 Bcf (billion cubic feet) of natural gas, and handles over 3 million tons of bulk materials in a safe and environmentally sound manner. Sprague is based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Please visit www.spragueenergy.com.
NYC & Company
NYC & Company, the city's official tourism marketing organization, is a private, membership-based non-profit dedicated to building New York City's economy and positive image through tourism and convention development, major events and the marketing of the city on a worldwide basis. For more information go to www.nycvisit.com.
