While ASBC continues to work with the U.S. Department of Transportation on a national public awareness campaign on school buses and with the U.S. Department of Education on student bullying prevention, in October the industry will also be sending several representatives to Washington, D.C., to obtain more information on the clean diesel program, especially as Congress is expected to take up the DERA legislative reauthorization later this year. Federal unding of the program, originated in 2005, expires at the end of December.

The inaugural Clean Diesel 10 Conference sponsored by the EPA is scheduled for Oct. 19 and 20 and was organized to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of reduced emissions made possible by the National Clean Diesel Campaign, which has since encompassed the EPA's Clean School Bus USA program, and DERA. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is expected to welcome the participants.

The National School Transportation Association has been involved with the EPA and congressional members for the past several years to lobby for more school bus money for retrofits and new vehicle purchases, especially for contractor members that federal law prohibits from applying for grant money directly from Clean School Bus, DERA and last year's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Only public school districts, public entities and non-profit organizations can apply for these funds, but NSTA won a victory last year by becoming a go-between for private company members.

NSTA is one of four sponsoring organization for the conference as a "Clean Air Leader" joining Caterpillar, Donaldson Filtration Solutions and Johnson Matthey. The American School Bus Council also will have a seat at the table.

Yet, clean diesel is not the only funding source available to school bus operators. Last week, NAPT announced a new program to use federal stimulus funds to increase school district conversions from diesel school buses to new CNG school buses.