Comment Log Display

Chairman Nichols
Air Resource Board
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: SB 523 (McGuire) School Bus Replacement 
AAP-CA Position: SUPPORT

Dear Chairman Nichols:

The American Academy of Pediatrics, California, representing the
5,000 board-certified pediatrician members of all four California
AAP regional chapters statewide, strongly supports the 2015-2016
Low Carbon Transportation Investments and the Air Quality
Improvement Program Funding Plan that proposes $5 million for
school buses in California’s rural and small school districts .
This investment would facilitate the replacement of  old school
buses in small school districts educating and transporting
students. A local education agency (LEA) with an average daily
attendance ADA of 2501 or less. 

Unlike many states, California does not require districts to take
buses off the road after a set number of years. As a result,
California has some of the oldest buses in the nation.

This disproportionally impacts students who have longer commutes
and who have no alternative to get to and from school. According to
the Air Resource Board, all bus-related exposures to fumes were due
to the time spent commuting on the bus and not the time spent at
bus stops or loading and unloading. This exposure causes asthma,
which affects 6.3 million American school children and is the most
common long-term childhood disease. Modern school buses also have
improved safety features such as better seat belts and more
emergency exits, making newer, cleaner buses an urgent priority.

Your staff proposal to support the next generation of
environmentally friendly school buses is a reasonable and
well-thought out measure to  protect the health of  California’s
children  in a manner consistent with the goals of  AB 32 (which
AAP-CA supported)  to reduce  greenhouse gases  and climate change.
 

Thank you for your public service and leadership. 

Sincerely,

Kris Calvin
Chief Executive Officer
American Academy of Pediatrics, California