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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 ▸ commends Jordan School District for its contribution to improved public health and
16 fiscal responsibility through acquiring school buses that operate on compressed
17 natural gas.
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 rank 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, in 2017 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 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 and rapidly increasing fuel economy standards, fossil fuel combustion engines continue to
35 account for approximately 48% of emissions that lead to poor air quality in Utah;
36 WHEREAS, as Utah's population continues to grow, so will the challenge of reducing
37 tailpipe emissions;
38 WHEREAS, Utah public schools have over 2,400 buses that transport 175,000 children
39 every day;
40 WHEREAS, most of the school buses being used by school districts and charter schools
41 burn diesel fuel;
42 WHEREAS, numerous studies have concluded that the younger a person is, the more
43 susceptible that person is to the dangers of diesel exhaust fumes, resulting in increased health
44 risks associated with lung disease, cancer, and heart disease;
45 WHEREAS, the concentration of numerous idling diesel school buses around schools
46 contributes to poor air quality, impacting the health of children and other members of the
47 community;
48 WHEREAS, inversions settle into the valleys along the Wasatch Front during the
49 school year, trapping exhaust fumes and fine particulate matter in the air we breathe;
50 WHEREAS, numerous efforts have been made over the past several years to remove
51 older diesel school buses in Utah and replace them with clean fuel alternatives such as
52 compressed natural gas (CNG), clean diesel, electricity, propane, or hybrid capability;
53 WHEREAS, one CNG school bus saves the equivalent of the emissions produced by 35
54 cars on the road;
55 WHEREAS, Jordan School District became a leader in clean fuel school buses when it
56 began acquiring CNG school buses 30 years ago;
57 WHEREAS, Jordan School District continually demonstrates leadership in clean fuel
58 school buses and currently has the state's largest fleet of CNG school buses;
59 WHEREAS, Jordan School District is contributing to cleaner air and better health for
60 students and residents along the Wasatch Front through the use of CNG school buses in place
61 of diesel school buses;
62 WHEREAS, in 2018 Jordan School District used $1.7 million in grant money to
63 purchase 36 new CNG school buses, bringing its total number of CNG buses to 105;
64 WHEREAS, more than half of all of the school buses used by Jordan School District
65 are CNG buses; and
66 WHEREAS, each CNG bus saves Jordan School District at least $6,000 per year,
67 resulting in an annual savings in fuel costs of $630,000:
68 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
69 Governor concurring therein, commends Jordan School District for its exemplary contribution
70 to the public health of the citizens of the state of Utah by acquiring a fleet of CNG school buses
71 with little additional expense to taxpayers, reducing emissions, and improving air quality.
72 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor commend Jordan
73 School District for being an excellent example of environmentally sensitive, forward-thinking,
74 and fiscally responsible leadership in the state of Utah.
75 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor commend Jordan
76 School District for its fiscal responsibility in seeking grants and rebates to acquire CNG school
77 buses and a CNG fueling facility, resulting in lower ongoing operational costs of its school bus
78 fleet.