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Header: Frequently Asked Questions

Background Information

Eligibility Requirements

Non-Attainment Area Questions

Technology Requirements

Ultra-low Sulfur Diesel Questions

Funding Details

Vendor Information


Background Information

Who can I contact if I have more questions?
For additional information, please visit the Program website at http://www.cleanbusesforkids.com or contact the Program Administrator, ICF Consulting at info@cleanbusesforkids.com If you do not have access to the internet, you may call the Program hotline at 703-934-3040.

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What is the first step in applying for funding?
Each school district or other eligible entity interested in receiving funding must submit a signed Expression of Interest form to the Program Administrator. The original, signed form must be received no later than 5:00 PM EST on November 12, 2004, in order to be considered. The information provided in the form will be used to make an initial determination of eligibility, and all eligible entities will be entered into the lottery (see "How will funding recipients be selected?" below for more details).

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What is the purpose of the Clean Buses for Kids Program?
The purpose of the program is to retrofit diesel school buses with emission control equipment in order to reduce diesel particulate emissions. The Program provides grants to school districts and other eligible public entities to purchase and install emission control equipment and to offset increased costs associated with using ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel

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Is the Clean Buses for Kids Program part of, or related to, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Clean School Bus U.S.A. Program?
No. The programs are completely separate and have no relationship with one another.

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Are there other programs that support efforts to retrofit school buses?
Several voluntary retrofit programs are currently operating throughout the country. Check with your state's transportation office, your state's education department, or your state's air pollution regulatory agency to see if your state has a program to retrofit school buses. The U.S. EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/schoolbus/csb-projects-map.htm shows a map of voluntary retrofit demonstration programs and projects throughout the country.

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Eligibility Requirements

Who is eligible to participate in the program?
To be eligible for the Clean Buses for Kids Program, applicants must be a public school district (as defined and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education) or a government entity that owns and operates a diesel school bus fleet for a public school district. Preference will be given to school districts located in non-attainment areas for the Particulate Standard or for the 8-hour ozone standard that are not part of an Early Action Compact. Private contractors who operate school bus fleets are not eligible to receive funding under this Program, nor may a school district (or other government entity) submit a request for funding as a fiscal agent for such contractors. (Note: Other eligibility requirements apply, including those dealing with types of vehicle, technology, and fuel. A full explanation of the Program can be found in the Program Description, which is posted in the "Forms, Instructions, and Deadlines" area of this web site).

Entities (other than the school districts/government entities described above) may collect and submit Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from multiple school districts, but may not themselves act as fiscal agents for or otherwise receive funding on behalf of an eligible school district. Each of the EOIs must be completed and signed by a representative of a single school district, and each EOI will be treated in the same manner as if it had been received individually.

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If I have already received funding for retrofits from another diesel vehicle retrofit program, can I still apply for funds from the Clean Buses for Kids Program?
Yes, although your application to the Clean Buses for Kids Program must be for the purchase and installation of equipment that has not received funding from other sources or programs. Applicants will be required to certify that any funding received under this Program will not be used for hardware, services, or fuel for which the applicant has received, or will receive, payment from another source or under another program. In addition, applicants will be required to provide information about other extraordinary sources of funding that have been received in the five (5) years prior to application to purchase and/or install similar types of emissions-reduction equipment on diesel school buses.

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Why are school districts in non-attainment areas given first priority in the distribution of funds?
The fine particles in diesel exhaust (known as particulate matter) can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause aggravated asthma, lung damage, and other serious health problems. Non-attainment areas are termed "non-attainment" because they already have levels of particulate matter and/or ozone in the air that exceed federal standards. These high levels of pollutants result in higher risk to individuals in those areas. Thus non-attainment areas have been given first priority in an effort to achieve the greatest health benefits from the available funding.

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The Expression of Interest form requires applicants to include an NCES ID number. What is an NCES ID number and how do I find the one for my school district?
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) created the NCES ID to identify all school districts in the US. If you do not know your NCES ID, then visit http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/ and follow the instructions to find the number for your district.

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Are funding recipients required to provide matching funds?
No.

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What is meant by an "eligible school bus?"
School buses eligible for retrofitting under this Program are those that meet all of the following criteria:

  • equipped with diesel engines;
  • have a gross vehicle weight rating of 19,500 lbs or more (Types C & D);
  • travel at least 10,000 miles per year and are in service at least 4 days per week during the school year; and
  • are model year 1994 or newer.

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Non-Attainment Area Questions

What is a non-attainment area?
The Clean Air Act regulates certain air pollutants that are harmful to human health. The pollutants commonly impair the respiratory system and may cause such serious problems as cancer or brain and nervous system damage. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets limits on the amount of these pollutants that can be present in the air before human health may be impaired. These pre-set levels are regulated as standards for each of six common air pollutants, such as ozone and particulate matter.

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Where can I find additional information about non-attainment areas?
EPA's Green Book also provides non-attainment areas by criteria pollutant, including ozone and particulate matter, and can be found at http://www.epa.gov/oar/oaqps/greenbk/index.html.

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What is the particulate standard?
Particulate matter includes dust, dirt, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets directly emitted to the air by a variety of sources, including diesel school buses. The particulate standard sets a limit on the amount of particulate matter of a certain size (smaller than 10 microns, which is small enough that the particulate can be inhaled and therefore cause damage to the human respiratory system over time) that can be present in the air. Areas that consistently exceed this limit, or that cause another location to consistently exceed the limit, are designated as being in non-attainment for the particulate standard. The counties where these non-attainment areas are located are listed in Appendix A of the Program Description.

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What is the 8-hour ozone standard
The EPA also regulates the acceptable level of ground level ozone in the air over a given 8-hour period before human health may be impaired. If an area consistently exceeds this limit or causes another location to consistently exceed the limit, then it is designated as a non-attainment area for the 8-hour ozone standard. The counties where these non-attainment areas are located are listed in Appendix A of the Program Description.

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How do I find out if my school district is located in a non-attainment area?
A list of non-attainment areas for the current particulate standard and the current 8-hour ozone standard is provided in Appendix A of the Program Description. In determining whether your school district is located in a non-attainment area, take the following steps:

(a) Look at the list to see if the county in which you operate is listed. If it is NOT listed, you are not in a non-attainment area.

(b) If your county is listed, you MAY be in a non-attainment area. You can check with your local or state environmental office to learn whether you are in the non-attainment portion of your county. Or, you can indicate on the Expression of Interest form that you are in a county on the list, and the program will research this for you. The program will let you know the results of the assessment.

School districts that are in non-attainment areas for the current particulate standard or the current 8-hour ozone standard will receive priority ranking in the lottery to determine which applicants are selected to receive Program funding.

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My school district is not located in a non-attainment area. Can I still qualify for and receive funding?
After funds have been distributed through the lottery to all eligible entities in non-attainment areas, any remaining funds will be disbursed through the lottery process to entities outside non-attainment areas.

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My school district is located in a county that may be designated as a non-attainment area in the future. Are we eligible to receive first priority in the distribution of funds?
No. The Clean Buses for Kids Program is giving preferential ranking to those school districts and other eligible government agencies that are currently located in non-attainment areas for the current particulate (PM-10) standard or for the 8-hour ozone standard and that do not have an Early Action Compact (EAC) in place.

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Technology Requirements

Why are only EPA- and CARB-verified technologies eligible for purchase with Program funds?
The purpose of this program is not to develop and test experimental technologies. Rather, it is to retrofit diesel school buses with proven emission control equipment to reduce particulate emissions. Therefore, only technologies that have been tested and verified by the EPA or CARB will qualify for funding under this program. Furthermore, it was decided that oxidation catalysts do not provide the level of reduction desired under the Program.

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What are the engine model years verified for use with the Program-approved diesel particulate filters (DPFs)?
The Program allows applicants to apply for funding for installation of qualified diesel particulate filters, as listed on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) verified retrofit technology list or the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) level 3 verified retrofit technology list. The technology must be on the list as of the date the application is approved (expected mid- to late March 2005 for the first round of applications). Based on the combustion technology used to attain current emission standards, some post 2002 engines might not be verified for a particular filter. Because Program funds may only be used for EPA- or CARB-verified filters, only verified filters for the specific bus engine are eligible to be retrofitted with diesel particulate filters as part of the Clean Buses for Kids Program.

Currently, the list of filters verified for use in most heavy-duty diesel, with engine model years 1994 through 2002 (non EGR), are listed below. A small number of 2003 & 2004 Some 2003 through 2006 model year engines may also work with the approved filters. Check with your filter installer or call the Program Administrator to find our whether your particular buses will work with the filters listed here.

Cleaire Longview 1993-2003 (ARB)
Cleaire Horizon 1994-2005 (ARB)
Donaldson DPM 1994-2004 (ARB)
Engelhard DPX 1994-2002 (EPA)
International DPX 1994-2004 (ARB)
Johnson Matthey CCRT 1994-2006 (EPA, ARB)
Johnson Matthey CRT 1994-2006 (EPA, ARB)
Lubrizol Engine Control Systems Purifilter 1994-2003 (EPA, ARB)

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Do alternative fueled buses qualify for funding under this program?
No. One of the intents of this project is to increase the use of ULSD. Therefore buses that use natural gas, ethanol, or biodiesel do not qualify for funding under this program. Certified blends of up to 20% biodiesel with ULSD may qualify under certain circumstances. Contact the program administrator for more information on this issue.

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Will the emission-control equipment affect the performance or reliability of our buses?
If the bus meets the eligibility criteria of the Program, there should be little or no change in performance or reliability.

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How do I find out which DPFs are qualified for installation using Program funding?
Qualified diesel particulate filters that may be purchased and installed using Program funding are only those listed on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) verified retrofit technology list (http://www.epa.gov/otaq/retrofit/retroverifiedlist.htm) or the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) level 3 verified retrofit technology list (http://www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/verdev/level3.htm). At present, the Engelhard DPX, the International DPX, the Johnson Matthey CRT, the Johnson Matthey CCRT,the Lubrizol Engine Control Systems Purifilter, the Donaldson DPM, the Cleaire Longview, and the Cleaire Horizon system diesel particulate filters are verified by either EPA or CARB for use with most 1994-2002 and some 2003 through 2006 model year school bus engines. Additional technologies will be added to the list of eligible technology for this Program once they are verified and added to the EPA or CARB lists. In addition, if a technology is deverified, it will be removed from those lists. More information on diesel particulate filters can be found in the EPA publication "Questions and Answers on Using a Diesel Particulate Matter Filter in Heavy-Duty Trucks and Buses" (http://www.epa.gov/otaq/retrofit/documents/f03017.pdf).

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Whom do I contact to see if a DPF will work with my buses?
Check with the dealers from which you purchase school buses or the engine dealers for the school bus engines. Filters are generally verified for the bus engine based upon model year and U.S. EPA emissions certification engine family number. Each engine has a label mounted on the engine with the engine family number, although some are placed in areas that are hard to see. The engine dealer should be able to tell you where that label is on your particular bus engine.

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What maintenance is required for DPFs?
Diesel particulate filters need to be disassembled and cleaned approximately once per year. This can be done with compressed air or by heating the filter in a special filter cleaning device. The estimated to cost clean a filter by a dealer is in the range of $300-350. In addition, several manufacturers sell filter cleaning devices. Check with your engine dealer or diesel particulate filter vendor regarding particulate filter maintenance costs for your area. The Clean Buses for Kids Program does not pay for maintenance costs.

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Ultra-low Sulfur Diesel Questions

What is Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD)?
ULSD is diesel fuel with reduced sulfur content. Sulfur compounds are one of the reasons that burning diesel fuel creates air pollution. ULSD has less than 10 percent of the sulfur content when compared to standard diesel fuel. ULSD has 15 parts per million (ppm) sulfur, compared to regular diesel fuel which may have from 150 to 500 ppm. Using ULSD will not harm or change the operation of diesel engines. Due to recent changes in U.S. federal fuel standards, ULSD is scheduled to be available throughout most of the U.S. starting in June 2006. ULSD will replace current diesel fuel in most areas. In fact, many parts of the country are already receiving ULSD, and some customers may be receiving ULSD without realizing there has been a change in the sulfur content of the fuel.

ULSD is better for the environment because it reduces the air pollution emissions associated with driving diesel engines. In addition, using ULSD in diesel engines allows those engines to be fitted or retrofitted with diesel particulate filters to reduce air pollution even further. Diesel particulate filters cannot work with standard diesel fuels because of the high sulfur content in traditional diesel fuels.

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Where do I get ULSD?
Check with your local fuel supplier to see if they are currently offering ULSD, or if (and when) they can supply you with ULSD. Several refineries and fuel suppliers throughout the U.S. already supply ULSD regularly to their customers. Some suppliers are making plans to switch to ULSD sometime between now and June 2006 when ULSD will become the standard diesel fuel throughout the U.S.

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How much does ULSD cost?
The cost of ULSD will vary regionally depending upon how far you are from a refinery that produces ULSD. Check with your fuel supplier about the cost of ULSD in your area.

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What is the long-term availability of ULSD?
As of June 2006, ULSD fuel will be available in most areas nationwide. It will replace current diesel fuel at that time. It is required to be used in buses and trucks built in 2007 and later. It is also required for use in buses retrofitted with diesel particulate filters. Because refineries are gearing up for nationwide distribution, its availability will increase between now and mid-2006.

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Why do we have to use only ULSD fuel for the buses that are retrofitted?
To operate efficiently, diesel particulate filters require the use of ULSD fuel. Use of regular diesel fuel in a bus equipped with a diesel particulate filter could clog the filter, which in turn could lead to increases in exhaust back-pressure and subsequent engine damage. In order to receive funding, a recipient must verify the availability of ULSD and develop guidelines to prevent the retrofitted buses from being fueled with regular diesel fuel.

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Funding Details

How much funding can a school district receive?
The maximum funding available is $750,000 per entity; the minimum amount is $30,000 per entity. It is estimated that the cost of each bus retrofit will range from $6,500 to $7,500.

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For what purposes can the funding awarded be used?
Funding awarded under the Program can be used for two purposes: 1) to purchase and install qualified diesel particulate filters on eligible school buses; and 2) to offset the additional cost associated with purchasing ULSD fuel (up to $350 per retrofitted bus).

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Can I submit more than one Expression of Interest?
Each school district or other eligible entity may submit only one Expression of Interest. Any additional Expressions of Interest received from an entity, beyond the one allowed, will not be considered.

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How will funding recipients be selected?
Eligible entities that submit an Expression of Interest Form will be assigned a number and entered into a lottery. During the lottery, numbers will be selected at random, and funding assigned to interested entities in the order selected until no funds remain. Priority will be given to entities operating diesel school bus fleets in non-attainment areas for ozone and/or particulate matter. In addition, steps will be taken to ensure geographic diversity among grant recipients.

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How long will it take to find out whether my school district was selected in the lottery to apply for funding?
Entities selected in the lottery will receive an invitation to submit an application for funding by December 3, 2004. Selected entities will then be required to submit completed Applications by February 1, 2005.

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If my school district is selected to receive funding, will the funding be provided before or after the buses are retrofitted?
Payment of funds will be made only after submission of required documentation to the Program Administrator confirming that all equipment has been installed according to the terms of the Funding Agreement. Payment will generally be made directly to the fleet owner. If desired, however, arrangements can be made for direct payment to the equipment supplier. For more information on required documentation, please refer to the Program Description.

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What obligations will I have as a funding recipient?
If you are selected to receive funding from the Program, you must agree to meet the following obligations:

  • Complete installation of all retrofit equipment within six months of notification of funding application acceptance.
  • Ensure the use of only ULSD in buses retrofitted using Program funds.
  • Implement other emission reduction efforts, such as an anti-idling program, prior to disbursement of funds.
  • Submit four (4) annual reports (due on September 1, 2006 - 2009) containing information as described in the Program Description.
  • Agree to allow representatives of the Program Administrator and of EPA access to buses participating in the Program for the purposes of inspection and data verification, as well as access to related project records.

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Vendor Information

What payment documentation must the school district submit in order for the retrofit project to be deemed complete and ready for payment?
In order to receive payment, all school districts must submit required payment documentation after completion of their retrofit projects. Required payment documentation includes the following:

  • Documentation of Services and/or Materials Purchased (including invoices, warranties, and proof of purchase of ULSD)
  • Certification of Installation (including a certificate of installation for each bus and data logging results for each bus)
  • Project Installation Report (including a completed form provided and, if applicable, any of the following: final bus data spreadsheet, final payee information, and copy of anti-idling policy)

Payment Documentation Instructions and Forms are available for download

Vendors should work with school districts to provide complete documentation that the school district can submit to the Program. Vendors need to provide the district with a final invoice (made out to the school district), the proof of warranty for each installation, a certificate of installation for each bus, and data logging results for each bus. Vendors may wish to help districts complete other parts of the paperwork, including the project installation report and the final bus data spreadsheet.

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Is there additional funding available?
School districts that have been invited to apply, but that do not yet have approved applications, are listed in the Invited to Apply section of the Web site. If school districts drop out of the Program, their funding will be made available to districts on the Waiting List, and the website listing will be updated.

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Will the Clean Buses for Kids Program release the list of approved buses directly to vendors?
The Clean Buses for Kids Program suggests that vendors work directly with the school districts to get the list of approved buses for this program. These are buses that meet the basic program requirements of being greater than 19,500 lbs GVWR, are type C or D, accumulate at least 10,000 miles a year, are model year 1994 or newer, and operate at least four days a week during the school year. Each school district was required to develop a Table 4-2 "Bus Data Spreadsheet" as part of its Funding Application. If a school district contacts the Clean Buses for Kids Program directly and asks us to release the file to a vendor, we will be happy to do so.

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Do we need to data log each school district's entire fleet prior to commencing the filter installations?
The Clean Buses for Kids Program prefers that all buses that are going to be retrofitted with diesel particulate filters (DPFs) that require a minimum exhaust temperature be data logged. However, we understand that it is time and resource intensive to data log each one. Therefore, it is acceptable to data log a representative sample of buses that includes, at a minimum, the "worst case" buses prior to beginning the filter installations. You should work with the school district to determine an appropriate sample of buses based on the buses' regular routes and engine configurations. More information on data logging can be found in the "Tips for Installation" section of the Technology Overview (PDF 224K) and the data logging requirements of the Payment Documentation (PDF 98K).

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What is considered a "representative sample" in terms of data logging?
A representative sample of buses should include at least one bus of each group of buses with the same engine and all "worst case" buses. "Worst case" refers to buses where the bus route may not be sufficient to attain the required temperature profile. These routes will be mostly urban routes with a lot of stop-and-go driving and no or few hills. Worst case buses may also include those with alternate engine configurations. For buses where data logging is not individually conducted, a simple explanation, such as "same engine and similar route schedule as bus X that was data logged," must be provided. The vendor also must affirm that those buses not data logged will meet the minimum temperature requirements for the filter and, therefore, will work effectively with the engine/bus. If you have a specific question as to how many buses comprise a "representative sample" to data log, please contact the program hotline at (703) 934-3040 or via e-mail at info@cleanbusesforkids.com.

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Will the Clean Buses for Kids Program pay for filter installations on buses that, after data logging is conducted, do not meet the minimum temperature requirements for verification by either the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the California Air Resources Board (CARB)?
No. The Clean Buses for Kids Program will only fund retrofits with DPFs verified by either the EPA or CARB. DPFs are verified for use on school buses only if the engine exhaust temperature exceeds a certain level for a given period of its duty cycle. These minimum temperature requirements are provided in Table 4 of the Technology Overview (PDF 224K). If the minimum temperature requirement is not met, the filter is not verified for that bus and, therefore, not eligible for funding under the Clean Buses for Kids Program. Installation vendors are required to provide data logging results, including a statement "that the data logging trace meets the temperature profile requirements of the filter as verified" (see page 4 of the Payment Documentation (PDF 98K) for more details).

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What options do we have if the buses do not meet the minimum temperature profile?
If buses are marginal (meet the temperature profile exactly, or are one percent below), the ClBean uses for Kids program will pay for the installation, as well as insulation to help the bus continue to meet the profile. If the buses are more than one percent below the profile, the vendor and district can work together to modify the bus route and conduct the data logging a second time to see if it meets the temperature profile. This second data logging can be conducted during the school year to better approximate the conditions under which the bus will operate. The school district must attest in its payment documentation that the bus will continue to be used with the new route and that the routes of other buses retrofitted under the program have not been adversely affected. See Data Logging Results for further details.

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Can we get paid incrementally as we complete a round of filter installations?
No. The Clean Buses for Kids Program will make one lump sum payment to the school district or whomever the district designates as the appropriate recipient in its Funding Application at the end of the retrofit project. Once all filter installations are complete and proper payment documentation has been submitted, the Payee (or Payees) designated in Section 10 of the Funding Application will receive payment for the approved amount within two to three months after approval of payment documentation.

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Can we use our standard installation forms as sufficient documentation to meet the Clean Buses for Kids Program requirements?
Yes. The Clean Buses for Kids Program will work with vendors to pre-approve their installation certification forms prior to being submitted as part of the payment documentation. To submit your standard certification of installation form(s) for review by program staff, please e-mail your form(s) to info@cleanbusesforkids.com or fax the form(s) to (703) 934-3740.

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