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9 LONG TITLE
10 General Description:
11 This resolution commends Jordan School District for investing in the state's largest fleet
12 of natural gas buses.
13 Highlighted Provisions:
14 This resolution:
15 ▸ recognizes the efforts by Jordan School District to contribute to improved public
16 health by acquiring school buses that operate on compressed natural gas with little
17 additional expense to taxpayers.
18 Special Clauses:
19 None
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21 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
22 WHEREAS, Utahns rank air quality among their highest concerns, and individuals
23 living along the Wasatch Front ranked air quality as their highest priority among their top 10
24 concerns in the state;
25 WHEREAS, Utahns' major concerns with air quality include ozone and very fine
26 particulate matter that are produced from the burning of fossil fuels;
27 WHEREAS, the Wasatch Front is known to have some of the most challenging
28 short-term air quality issues;
29 WHEREAS, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently reclassified the
30 Wasatch Front from a "moderate" to a "serious" nonattainment area, based on the Clean Air
31 Act's air quality health standards;
32 WHEREAS, although vehicle contribution to air pollution has decreased over time and
33 will continue to decline with both the implementation of Tier III fuel and automobile standards
34 from 2017 to 2025, and rapidly increasing fuel economy standards, fossil fuel combustion
35 engines continue to account for approximately 48% of emissions that lead to poor air quality in
36 Utah;
37 WHEREAS, as Utah's population continues to grow, so will the challenge of reducing
38 tailpipe emissions;
39 WHEREAS, as of the 2015-16 school year, there were 2,895 school buses among the
40 41 school districts and charter schools in Utah, traveling approximately 32 million miles during
41 the school year;
42 WHEREAS, most of the school buses being used by school districts and charter schools
43 burn diesel fuel;
44 WHEREAS, numerous studies have concluded that the younger a person is, the more
45 susceptible that person is to the dangers of diesel exhaust fumes, resulting in increased health
46 risks associated with lung disease, cancer, and heart disease;
47 WHEREAS, the concentration of numerous idling diesel school buses around schools
48 contributes to poor air quality, impacting the health of children and other members of the
49 community;
50 WHEREAS, inversions settle into the valleys along the Wasatch Front during the
51 school year, trapping exhaust fumes and fine particulate matter in the air we breathe;
52 WHEREAS, numerous efforts have been made over the past several years to remove
53 older diesel school buses in Utah and replace them with clean fuel alternatives such as
54 compressed natural gas (CNG), clean diesel, electricity, propane, or hybrid capability;
55 WHEREAS, one CNG school bus saves the equivalent of the emissions produced by 35
56 cars on the road;
57 WHEREAS, Jordan School District began acquiring CNG school buses 20 years ago;
58 WHEREAS, Jordan School District currently has the state's largest fleet of CNG school
59 buses;
60 WHEREAS, 75 of the 260 school buses in Jordan School District use CNG and the
61 school district has ordered an additional 36 CNG school buses this year through grants;
62 WHEREAS, the initial cost to acquire one CNG bus is approximately $25,000 to
63 $30,000 more than the cost to acquire a regular school bus;
64 WHEREAS, one gasoline gallon equivalent of CNG costs between 50 cents and one
65 dollar;
66 WHEREAS, Jordan School District files for a rebate each year, offsetting the cost to
67 operate CNG buses up to 50 cents per gallon of CNG used;
68 WHEREAS, despite the higher initial cost to acquire CNG buses, Jordan School
69 District has reduced school bus operational costs due to the lower cost per gasoline gallon
70 equivalent of CNG and the acquired rebates; and
71 WHEREAS, there are now 65 CNG fueling stations across the state and Jordan School
72 District owns and operates its own CNG fueling station:
73 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
74 Governor concurring therein, commends Jordan School District for its exemplary contribution
75 to the public health of the citizens of the state of Utah by acquiring a fleet of CNG school buses
76 with little additional expense to taxpayers, reducing emissions and improving air quality.
77 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor commend Jordan
78 School District for being an excellent example of environmentally sensitive, forward-thinking,
79 and fiscally responsible leadership in the state of Utah.
80 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor commend Jordan
81 School District for its fiscal responsibility in seeking grants and rebates to acquire CNG school
82 buses and a CNG fueling facility, resulting in lower ongoing operational costs of its school bus
83 fleet.
Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel