Clear the Air for Kids

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Clear the Air for Kids!
February 12, 2007 2007 National Air Quality
Conference
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Clear the Air for Kids!

• Educational outreach for school districts
• Encouraging enforcement of anti-idling
• policies
• Assistance with grant applications
• Encourage expanding idle-reduction to
• broader population

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Who is involved with CAK?
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• SEQL helps communities in the 15-county
• Charlotte metro region work together to find
  solutions.

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Bus emissions are a regional issue

• 11 NC counties in the SEQL region
• 15 school districts 490 schools
• 285 elementary schools
• 101 middle schools
• 94 high schools
• 10 special schools

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Bus stats

• 2,707 yellow buses in region
• 281 activity buses in region

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How are we getting the word out..

• Developed a relationship with school
  transportation directors
• Provided information packets on CAK to all
  superintendents, transportation directors and
  public information officers
• Encouraged used of CAK video on government
  channels and education channels

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Getting the word out.

• Started in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
  largest system in the region
• Carolinas Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) volunteers
  tried contacting individual schools to set up
  a meeting with PTA President
• Process did not work too labor intensive
• CCAC decided to concentrate on 25 schools with
  the highest asthma population

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Getting the word out.

• Centralina focused attention on the other 10
  counties and begin requesting time on the
  agenda of district principals meetings
• In 10-15 minutes you reach all the principals
  with the same information

Clear the Air for Kids! Carolinas Clean Air
Coalition Sustainable Environment for Quality of
Life (SEQL)
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Getting the word out.

• Packets are distributed to elementary principals
  with
• Turn off your engine card for each parent
• Bookmarks for third graders
• Information for school newsletters
• CD with background information on emission and
  childrens health
• SEQL information
• EPA materials on school bus emissions

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CAK campaign was kicked off on October 24, 2006
with EPA Region 4 Administrator Jimmy Palmer and
NC Department of Environment and Natural
Resources Secretary Bill Ross attending
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Handout for parents.

• Why is idling of vehicles a problem?
• Vehicle exhaust is hazardous to human health,
  especially children. Studies have linked
  pollution from vehicles to increased rates of
  cancer, heart and lung disease, asthma and
  allergies.
• Idling wastes resources and damages the
  environment. Burning fuel needlessly costs you
  money and contributes to air pollution problems.
• Encourage idle reduction of school buses.
• Turn off your car when waiting for your children
  in the carpool lines.
• Stop using the drive thru.

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• Bookmarks for third graders 10 Things Kids Can
  Do
• Companion piece to our 100 ways you can
  improve the environment

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100 ways you can improve the environment

• Simple ways you can make a difference

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Grant from NC Department of Environment and
Natural Resources is providing three signs for
each school in the 11 NC SEQL counties
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Results.
All 15 school districts have anti-idling
policies in place for buses
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Results

• 625 yellow buses have been retrofitted
• Funding provided by
• EPA Clean School Bus Grants
• NC DENR Mobile Source
• Emissions Grants
• CMS district has
• 40 buses with DPFs
• using ULSD
• 8 natural gas buses
• Rowan-Salisbury district
• has 23 buses with
• recirc devices

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Gaston County Schools producing biodiesel from
used cooking oil goal to produce 100,000
gallons this yearCabarrus County Schools
setting up biodiesel production process
Results..
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Results

• By March 2007 Clear the Air for Kids! packets
  will
• be in the hands of 490 principals
• This represents 330,779 students and their
• parents
• And 26,688 third graders who will have the 10
• Things Kids Can Do bookmarks

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For additional information contact

• Carol Lewis
• Sustainable Environment for Quality of Life
• P.O. Box 35008
• Charlotte, NC  28235
• Phone [phone]  Fax [phone]
• clewis_at_centralina.org