COLUMBUS, OH, Aug 17, 2017 (Marketwired via COMTEX) — COLUMBUS, OH–(Marketwired – Aug 17, 2017) – It’s an annual scene. Kids and parents on the corner waiting for the school bus to pick up children for their first day of school. Everything is as it should be until the school bus starts idling and the smell of diesel fuel and cloud of dirty exhaust permeates the air.
However, some Ohio school districts have stepped forward to address the problem directly. These districts have chosen to use a significantly cleaner diesel fuel that reduces harmful emissions and exhaust fumes children breathe everyday on their way to and from school. These change leaders have chosen High Performance Clean Diesel (HPCD) Fuel, from EcoChem Alternative Fuels of Dublin, Ohio. HPCD is the industry’s cleanest burning diesel fuel which produces the lowest amount of hydrocarbon emissions. This summer, ESW America, an EPA and CARB certified environmental testing laboratory in Pennsylvania, conducted over 250 hours of rigorous testing where researchers verified that HPCD fuel reduces harmful emissions from standard diesel fuel by 27%. ESW America stated that, “HPCD fuel demonstrated the largest reduction of harmful emissions they have seen during their time at the laboratory.” Joshua Koch, Founder and President of EcoChem Alternative Fuels also stated, “Our own testing over the last few years has clearly shown reductions in NOx and Hydrocarbons, but having ESW America quantify it and confirm the purity of our fuel is great news to share with our schools, students and parents.”
The Medical & Children’s Health Perspective of School Bus Emissions The problem of diesel fuel emissions is one that parents need to be aware of according to Dr. Mark Triffon of Columbus, Ohio: “Children sitting in the school bus are exposed to 4 times more exhaust in the school bus than a child riding in a car ahead of the school bus. The effect of this increased exposure to diesel fumes includes respiratory sickness, asthma, increased illness due to impact on young immune systems, poor school attendance and poor school performance.” While school busses have been spewing diesel fuel exhaust for years, there is a growing awareness of its harmful effects. According to Dr. Triffon, a lot has to do with physiology: “Children are affected by exhaust fumes much more than adults. Children breathe 50% more air per pound of body weight than adults do and they tend to be mouth breathers. That mouth breathing bypasses the upper respiratory track that provides a natural filtering. Because their lungs are not fully developed, they are much more susceptible to inhaled particulate matter coming from diesel fuel exhaust.”
The Ohio Schools Using HPCD Low Emission Fuel The Ohio school districts using HPCD’s clean diesel fuel include: Dublin City Schools, City of Dublin, Cleveland, Marion Schools and Marion Water, Pleasant Local, Elgin Public, Ridgedale Local, River Valley, Twinsburg City Schools, Stowe-Munroe, Firelands Local, Oregon City, Chagrin Falls, Revere Local Schools, and Bedford City Schools.
How & Why HPCD Fuel Significantly Lowers Emissions HPCD fuel is unique in its ability to reduce harmful emissions. Fuel is refined and processed at each school district’s fueling station, meaning all the contaminants and deposits that occur during the various transports of the fuel from the refinery to the school district are removed. According to the Worldwide Fuel Charter who monitors fuel quality, 50% of all diesel fuel dispensed does not meet ISO standard codes for cleanliness. “The multiple transfer points and storage tanks in our country’s fuel distribution system contaminates and degrades the fuel,” continued Koch. “We believe the only way to ensure highest quality fuel gets into school bus tanks every time is to take a multi-pronged approached to re-refining it with the latest technology on site at the pump and assure the tanks there are always clean — which is what we do with HPCD and our Ohio school system customers. The contaminated and degraded fuel from the outdated distribution system are big contributors to much of the black smoke and dangerous emissions. Schools tell us that our fuel has basically eliminated the black smoke and smog clouds from their bus yards.”
The Ohio Clean Fuels for Schools Initiative Koch and EcoChem see clean, environmentally friendly fuel as a mission for Ohio Schools. In 2015 they formed an organization of school districts with a shared mission called, Clean Fuels for Schools. The Clean Fuels for Schools (CFFS) Initiative is a public/private partnership that focuses on cleaner fuels and a safer environment for our children in and around the school bus. It works through organization members and reaches out to other school districts to raise awareness for reducing school bus emissions, reducing health issues related to bus emissions and helping districts extend the life of the fleet, and reduce fuel costs. The program has improved Ohio air quality by reducing an estimated 20 Million lbs. of toxic emissions from our schools. The benefits of the fuel extend beyond health and environment. Enrolled school districts are benefiting from better mileage for their fleet, reduced fleet maintenance, and useful life extensions.
EcoChem Alternative Fuels began R&D in 2007 commercializing its first high performance fuel HPCD in 2010. It’s located in Dublin, OH and serves multiple school districts and vehicle fleets with its trademarked HPCD clean diesel fuel.
Joshua F. Koch – EcoChem Alternative Fuels, LLC 565 Metro Place South, Suite 3035 Dublin, Ohio 43017 (614) 764-3835 jfk@ecochem.us
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