IOWA LAUNCHES PROGRAM TO ENSURE BUS EMISSION SAFETY

DES MOINES -- In order to protect children from potentially dangerous emissions from school buses, Iowa is launching a new program called the Bus Emissions Education Program (BEEP) to test all Iowa diesel school buses. This is the first voluntary testing program known to exist in the United States.

BEEP is being presented during the 39th Annual School Transportation Conference July 22 - 24, 2002, at the Airport Holiday Inn in Des Moines. The presentation will be given Wednesday, July 24, beginning at 10:45, by Troyce Fisher, Executive Director of the School Administrators of Iowa (SAI), and Richard Moffitt, Information and Services Manager of Mirenco, Inc.

BEEP is a collaborative partnership among the Iowa Department of Education, Department of Natural Resources, School Administrators of Iowa, Iowa Pupil Transportation Association and Mirenco, Inc. Through the program, Mirenco, Inc., an Iowa-based automotive emissions control company, will conduct emissions tests on every diesel-powered school bus in Iowa. The purpose of BEEP is to identify and correct diesel-powered school buses emitting excessive smoke in an effort to reduce emissions and improve Iowa's air quality.

The Iowa Bus Emissions Education Program outlines a five year plan, during which time every public and private school bus will be tested twice annually at the same time the buses are undergoing the Department of Education's regularly scheduled school bus inspections. The first round of testing on the nearly 4500 diesel buses was completed earlier this month. There is no cost to Iowa schools, SAI or the State of Iowa. Donations from private companies and organizations are being raised to fund the program.

SAI Executive Director Troyce Fisher noted that proactively inspecting and testing buses works to preserve the environment and assures bus riders face fewer health risks. "It's especially important for us to address these issues early," Fisher said, "because with very tight budgets, identifying maintenance areas will help avoid major engine repairs or vehicle replacements that will further stress their budgets." The program provides data schools can use to further develop their preventive maintenance programs, potentially saving costly repairs and vehicle down time.

For more than 20 years, Dwayne Fosseen, CEO of Mirenco Inc., based in Radcliffe, Iowa, has been in the business of testing and reducing vehicle emissions. BEEP incorporates the testing capabilities and the technology developed by Mirenco to help schools keep aging buses safe for both riders and the environment.

Most of Iowa's buses are diesel-powered, so every district is participating in the program, said Terry Voy, transportation consultant at the Iowa Department of Education. "Each bus is evaluated by Mirenco staff utilizing an EPA approved method, and recommendations are made for corrective remedies. We anticipate that improvements in tailpipe emissions can be realized through relatively simple and inexpensive measures. In extreme cases of engine deterioration, major engine work may be necessary."

The Bus Emissions Education Program also includes funding for an educational element for children, according to Mirenco CEO Dwayne Fosseen. "We are partnering with the education community, not only to make sure Iowa has the cleanest fleet of school buses in the nation, but also to provide an opportunity for students to learn more about fossil fuels and their impact on the environment. Teaching Iowa's future leaders about tailpipe emissions prepares them to make informed decisions down the road."

BEEP is patterned after a similar project involving Mirenco and the Transit Authority of River City Louisville, Kentucky. That project has involved the monitoring of 100 public transit buses over the past three years, during which time fleet emissions have been reduced by 80%.

Mirenco won the Governor's Environmental Excellence Award last year in the air quality category.

For more information contact: Erin Heiden, Mirenco, Inc. at (515) 899-2164 or Tracy Harms, School Administrators of Iowa at (515) 267-1115 or Brian Button, DNR, at 515-281-7832