A Waterbury-based school bus operator has settled a case with the Environmental Protection Agency after it allegedly violated state and federal clean air standards by allowing buses to idle excessively at its facilities in Brookfield and New Milford.
All-Star Transportation LLC agreed to pay a penalty of $64,833 and to implement anti-idling measures across all 18 of its Connecticut locations as part of the settlement.
The company also must certify compliance with state regulations. Connecticut’s anti-idling regulation, which is enforced by the EPA, prohibits motor vehicles from idling for longer than 3 minutes, unless an exception applies.
During an investigation of All-Star’s Brookfield and New Milford facilities, EPA inspectors observed 76 school buses idling for a total of about 800 minutes.
According to the EPA, idling diesel engines emit pollutants that can cause or worsen health problems, such as asthma. Also, the fine particles in diesel exhaust are considered a likely human carcinogen.
“Cutting down on pollution is a crucial part of achieving clean air, especially for children and for our communities who bear the brunt of this pollution,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “With settlements like this one, and through our efforts to replace diesel school buses with electric buses, EPA continues to make good on our mission to protect our communities’ basic rights to clean air and a clean environment.”
The terms of the settlement require All-Star to implement new compliance measures that include tracking school bus idling time via telematics, posting clear signage, updating driver training, conducting regular examinations of bus lots and addressing driver noncompliance.
A message for an All-Star representative was not immediately returned Thursday morning.
