School bus company agrees to reduce idling of its vehicles

News release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Durham School Services has agreed to reduce idling from its school bus fleet of 13,900 buses operating in 30 states. The bus company also will pay a $90,000 penalty and perform environmental projects valued at $348,000 as part of a settlement for alleged excessive diesel idling in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In fall 2010, an EPA inspector observed Durham school buses idling for extended periods of time in school bus lots in Storrs, Conn., Worcester, Mass. and Johnston, R.I. The inspector observed some buses idling for close to two hours before departing the bus lot to pick up school children. The state idling regulations in question generally limit idling in Connecticut to three minutes and in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to five minutes.