COMMUNITY COMMENTARY:Buses satisfy Clean Air Act

The Huntington Beach Union High School District Board of Trustees and other interested staff for the Huntington Beach Union High School District were proud to tour a new compressed natural gas (CNG) school bus.

For many, this was a long-term goal fulfilled for the district.

The new buses are impressive. Equipped with seatbelts, high seat backs and fire sprinklers, the buses are a bit longer than older buses at 3.5 feet longer in length.

The four new CNG buses were acquired by the district, succeeding an earlier program that provided two CNG buses on loan from a program designed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The district was successful in obtaining approval for the new funds allowing for the purchase of four full-size CNG buses. The 2008 models are the first new buses in the district since 1976.

The AQMD grant required a match of $25,000 for each bus by the district. The buses are valued at $160,000 each. The program, which supplements earlier programs, is designed to assist school districts to purchase CNG school buses and to retrofit 1994 and newer diesel buses.

Older pre-1982 buses were crushed and recycled by the district in agreement with the partnership with AQMD. The district owns 39 buses total and now has just one pre-1982 bus left. The new buses will be used for student athletic programs and extra-curricular student activities. All four buses will be in everyday use during the normal school year and will run for about 300 miles straight.

Driver Carol Anderson said the buses are easy to drive and handle. The buses will require less maintenance given that they are new and best of all, will abide by the Federal Clean Air Act guidelines.

A compressor station for re-fueling the compressed natural gas buses is housed at the Huntington Beach District Maintenance yard.

Huntington Beach Union High School District is composed of six high schools in Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley and Westminster. The district also includes the continuation high school, alternative high school, and a community day school and adult school.