The MSRC closes out 2019 by joining two of its school district project partners in the grand opening events for their new compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations in the South Coast region. On November 13, MSRC Contracts Administrator Cynthia Ravenstein was on-hand to participate in the Moreno Valley Unified School District’s ribbon cutting ceremony for its new CNG station (see photo below). With the help of $200,000 in Clean Transportation Funding from the MSRC, the school district invested in the limited-access facility to support its fleet of nearly 30 CNG school buses.
On December 3, the Mountain View School District, located in the community of El Monte, opened a new limited-access CNG station. Cynthia and Matt MacKenzie, MSRC Contracts Assistant, were there to celebrate the MSRC’s grant of $275,000 which helped fund the construction of the station (see photo below). School Board members and staff remarked that the new infrastructure will not only help clean the air but also save significant staff time resources since drivers used to have to take their buses to a distant fueling station. The new station will also mean the buses can receive a more complete fill and travel farther with students once they are fueled up.
For both stations, at least 50 percent of the natural gas dispensed must be renewable natural gas, which helps reduce climate pollution and enhances the diversity of our fuel supply.
Operating school buses using cleaner-fueled CNG, as opposed to diesel fuel, is particularly important for young people. Children are more susceptible to the toxic exhaust from traditional diesel buses since their breathing rate is about twice that of adults, because children have a faster metabolism and because their bodies are still developing. Using natural gas can reduce particulate matter emissions by up to 95 percent.
