Clean Up Missouri Project Receives Nearly $1 Mil. To Reduce Diesel Emissions Across State

• St. Louis Regional Clean Cities will retrofit twenty-three DeSoto Area School District buses with diesel oxidation catalysts and fuel operated heaters to reduce diesel emissions. A diesel oxidation catalyst is a device that uses a chemical process to break down diesel engine pollutants in the exhaust stream, turning them into less harmful components. Fuel operated heaters prevent the bus driver from having to run the school bus at idle for long periods of time.
• Ozarks Center for Sustainable Solutions will retrofit eighty-seven buses with oxidation catalysts and fuel operated heaters in the Lebanon, West Plains, Kirbyville R-VI, and Willard R-II school districts. The project also funds school bus replacement at Joplin, Dallas County, Willard R-II, and Logan-Rogersville school districts. The buses will be replaced earlier than normal to reduce emissions.
• Mid-America Regional Council plans to retrofit seventy-seven school buses in the Liberty, Lee’s Summit, and Blue Springs School Districts with fuel operated heaters and closed crankcase ventilation. The project will also early replace one school bus in the Lee’s Summit School District.
• SEMO RPC plans include repowering one switch locomotive and installing automatic engine startup/shutdown devices on eight switch locomotives to reduce diesel emissions. EPA is working hard to reduce emissions from locomotives, both while they are pulling freight and while they are idling.