Cobb School Buses Reduce Pollution

The Cobb County School District's Transportation Department has earned an award for reducing the amount of pollution its school buses generate.

The district won the Georgia Diesel Emissions Reduction (GaDER) Gold Award, presented by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), during the Georgia Association for Pupil Transportation’s (GAPT) trade show and conference on Jekyll Island in June.

Diesel vehicle using organizations that reduce their emissions by 26 to 74 percent are eligible for the Gold Award, said the school district in a press release.

For school systems, reducing their diesel emissions is done by replacing old school buses, equipping school buses with modern diesel particulate filters, or adding vehicles to the fleet which run on alternate fuels.

GaDER's School Bus Retrofit Program offers grants, technical assistance, and education to Georgia school systems that wish to upgrade their fleets.

Executive Director of the Transportation Department Rick Grisham and Associate Director of Fleet Maintenance Mike Warner accepted the GaDER Gold Award on behalf of Cobb County.