Cinergy Awards $100,000 To Help “Clean Up” School Buses In Ohio

CINCINNATI, September 13, 2005 – Cinergy recently awarded the Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services (HCDOES) a $100,000 grant to retrofit 135 school buses with diesel oxidation catalysts. The oxidation catalysts will reduce approximately 10,800 pounds per year of diesel exhaust emissions in the Greater Cincinnati area.

“Cinergy appreciates this opportunity to support the outstanding retrofitting work being done by HCDOES,” said John Stowell, Cinergy vice president, environmental strategy, federal affairs and sustainability. “Together we will be able to make an even greater impact on the air quality for our children and the tri-state area.”

The key goal of the project is to reduce school children’s exposure to diesel exhaust emissions, when riding on a school bus or while waiting in areas where buses are idling. Research indicates that diesel exhaust is a probable human carcinogen. It is also a strong respiratory irritant that can trigger an asthma attack in sensitive children.

“HCDOES is very pleased to team up with Cinergy to help make school buses healthier for our children,” said Ken Edgell, environmental administrative coordinator at HCDOES. “The Cinergy grant will allow us to extend the successful school bus retrofit program begun in the 2004-2005 school year with an initial grant from the EPA.”

Local school districts that own their own buses were solicited in the area. Eleven school districts were selected to participate in the 2005-2006 project:

• Bethel-Tate Local School District
• Finneytown Schools
• Forest Hills School District
• Indian Hill Exempted Village Schools
• Loveland Public Schools
• New Richmond Exempted Village Schools
• Northwest Local Schools
• Princeton City Schools
• Ross Local Schools
• Three Rivers Local Schools
• Winton Woods City Schools