Diesel School Bus Becomes First to Receive Pollution Control Retrofit in Puerto Rico

Improving Air Quality for School Children

Santa Fe, NM – May 30, 2007 – Exhaust from diesel school buses can be dangerous to the health of children. Puerto Rico has decided it’s time to do something about it.

In May, the country unveiled its first school bus retrofitted with emissions control technology to reduce toxic diesel emissions and improve air quality for Puerto Rican school children.

According to an article published in the journal Population Research and Policy Review, “Puerto Rican children are more likely to have asthma than children in any other racial/ethnic group in the United States.” As noted in a study conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the University of California at Berkeley School of Public Health, and the Coalition for Clean Air, riding a diesel school bus may increase the risk of cancer and aggravate respiratory problems in children. Recently E/The Environmental Magazine reported diesel emissions are classified by the EPA as a “likely carcinogen”, with dangers of breathing diesel exhaust ranging from respiratory illnesses like asthma and bronchitis to lung cancer and heart disease. In Puerto Rico, this health threat is especially true for children already impacted by asthma.

The retrofitted diesel school bus was presented during a ceremony in San Juan at the Polytechnic University on May 11th. Alan J. Steinberg, Regional Administrator of the EPA, discussed the benefits of providing air pollution control equipment for aging vehicles. “Pollution from school buses has health implications for everyone, especially asthmatic children. By developing local capacity and promoting the Clean School Bus program in Puerto Rico, where more kids suffer from asthma than anywhere else in the U.S., we are progressively reducing diesel pollution to make that familiar black puff of smoke a relic of the past.”

Air pollution control products and services to retrofit the bus were provided by emissions control manufacturer, CleanAIR Systems, Inc., working in conjunction with emissions reduction consultant, Emisstar. The retrofitted bus is the start of a national initiative aimed at cleaning up school buses throughout the country as a joint effort between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Puerto Rico Clean School Bus USA Workgroup.

Launched in 2003 by the EPA, Clean School Bus USA is a voluntary partnership with the goal of reducing children’s exposure to diesel exhaust through the reduction of unnecessary bus idling, providing funding to retrofit buses with emissions control technology, and replacing older buses with less-polluting models. The majority of Puerto Rican school buses were built prior to 2004. They generate a significant amount of pollutants such as fine particulate matter and can release up to six times more pollution than buses built after 2004. CleanAIR Systems provided the program with an ASSURE DOC (diesel oxidation converter) which will cut school bus emissions of particulate matter by at least 20%, hydrocarbons by 50% and carbon monoxide by at least 60%. The CleanAIR ASSURE DOC can be used with either diesel or biodiesel fuels.

“We’re glad we were able to make a difference in Puerto Rico when it came to cleaning up their school buses,” said Ralph Wintersberger, CleanAIR Sales Engineer. “Emisstar brought this to our attention and jointly our two companies worked with the EPA to get this program off the ground.”

“Emisstar is pleased to lend our expertise to this exciting and important first step in improving the health and well-being of school children in Puerto Rico,” added Glenn Goldstein, Emisstar Principal.

Puerto Rico has also joined the Northeast Diesel Collaborative, allowing it to compete for future EPA grant money in order to purchase air pollution control equipment to retrofit the rest of their bus fleet.

About CleanAIR Systems:
CleanAIR Systems is a technology-based corporation manufacturing emissions control systems with worldwide distribution. Their products are designed to control air pollution such as diesel particulate matter and NOx, for on- and off-road vehicles, as well as stationary machinery and power generation. Visit CleanAIR Systems online at http://www.cleanairsys.com/.


Extras --
The Facts:
The majority of school buses in Puerto Rico are older models which produce six times more pollution than buses manufactured after 2004, creating an unhealthy atmosphere for Puerto Rican school children and contributing to an already high rate of asthma.

Retrofitting their first diesel school bus with emissions control technology supplied pro bono by CleanAIR Systems, Inc., Puerto Rico works with the EPA to establish the Puerto Rico Clean School Bus USA Workgroup.

Information Sources:
Population Research and Policy Review 2005:
Premature Birth and Asthma Among Young Puerto Rican Children
by Bridget K. Gorman and Nancy S. Landale

Environmental Health Perspectives - August 2002
Bad Grades for School Buses – Children’s Health
By Angela Spivey

Emagazine.com – The Environmental Magazine
May 20, 2007
Are my kids breathing in dangerous exhaust fumes by riding the school bus?

Quotes:
“We’re glad we were able to make a difference in Puerto Rico when it came to cleaning up their school buses,” said Ralph Wintersberger, CleanAIR Sales Engineer. “Emisstar brought this to our attention and jointly our two companies worked with the EPA to get this program off the ground.”

“Emisstar is pleased to lend our expertise to this exciting and important first step in improving the health and well-being of school children in Puerto Rico,” added Glenn Goldstein, Emisstar Principal.

View press release as PDF

Find High Resolution Photos for this press release

Use a CleanAIR Logo

See a Slide Show with examples of the ASSURE DOC

View a Video

Contact us: mailto:louise@cleanairsys.com

Cleaning Up Emissions with New CleanAIR Filter/Silencer

Santa Fe, NM – May 14, 2007 – Leading emissions control manufacturer, CleanAIR Systems introduces a new addition to their line of diesel particulate filter products, the PERMIT Filter/Silencer, designed to reduce exhaust emissions from prime power and emergency generators. Facilities using gensets for power generation are already familiar with silencers installed to lessen engine noise. With the enforcement of stringent pollution regulations, generator owners also need emissions control technology along with sound attenuation to meet demanding air quality laws. The PERMIT Filter/Silencer incorporating CleanAIR’s CARB verified PERMIT Filter, meets both requirements.

Available for all stationary engine sizes, CleanAIR’s PERMIT Filter/Silencer is installed on the exhaust of a generator, eliminating visible black smoke, diesel odor and noise while the engine is running. Emissions of particulate matter are substantially reduced by more than 85% and emissions of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons by up to 99%.

“Keeping our customer in mind, we designed our PERMIT Filter/Silencer specifically to fit facilities that need to reduce emissions and sound,” explained CleanAIR Sales Engineer, Daniel Serrano. “By combining our diesel particulate filters with a silencer, the customer no longer needs two separate units that take up a lot of space. Our PERMIT Filter/Silencer does the job of both by eliminating emissions while at the same time providing sound reduction. It also reduces the overall cost.”

Manufactured using 304 stainless steel, the PERMIT Filter/Silencer is custom designed to fit each application. Utilizing CleanAIR’s integrated approach, the product is entirely designed and manufactured in-house, including: product design; flow, stress and sound modeling; filter catalyzation; and custom fabrication of the silencer shell. Each PERMIT Filter/Silencer is fully insulated to reduce heat loss and provide sound attenuation.

The stainless steel silencer is corrosion-resistant, thereby extending the life of the product. Using stainless steel also reduces the product’s total weight by up to 50% over silencers currently on the market constructed of mild steel, allowing for easier installation.

“We looked at silencer designs already on the market and knew we could design a better, more efficient product that also incorporated our CARB verified PERMIT Filters,” concluded Michael Roach, President of CleanAIR Systems. “It was a real group effort with our engineering, manufacturing and technical sales staff all offering input as to what our customers wanted in an emissions control product. Our team designed a premium product using stainless steel construction, incorporating our PERMIT Filters and still maintained a comparable price advantage. In this way all facilities from schools and hospitals to power generation plants can afford to install a better emissions control product.”

For more information on the CleanAIR PERMIT Filter/Silencer visit http://www.cleanairsys.com/products/filters/index.htm

About CleanAIR Systems:
CleanAIR Systems is a technology-based corporation manufacturing emissions control systems with worldwide distribution. Their products are designed to control air pollution such as particulate matter and NOx, for on- and off-road vehicles, as well as stationary machinery and power generation. Visit CleanAIR Systems online at http://www.cleanairsys.com/.


Extras:
Tags:
diesel particulate matter, diesel emissions, emergency generator, prime power generator, CARB verified, emissions control technology, genset

The Facts:
-- CleanAIR Systems introduces the PERMIT Filter/Silencer for prime power and emergency diesel generators, to substantially reduce emissions of particulate matter by greater than 85%, and carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons by up to 99%.

-- Containing CARB verified PERMIT filters, the CleanAIR Filter/Silencer has all-stainless steel construction and is fully insulated for sound attenuation.

-- The CleanAIR Filter/Silencer combines the benefits of a silencer for sound reduction and the benefits of diesel particulate filters for emissions control into one space-saving unit.

-- Available for all engines sizes, the custom-designed PERMIT Filter/Silencer is rust resistant, light weight, easy to install and comparable in price to similar products made of less durable mild steel.

Quotes:
“Keeping our customer in mind, we designed our PERMIT Filter/Silencer specifically to fit facilities that need to reduce emissions and sound,” explained CleanAIR Sales Engineer, Daniel Serrano. “By combining our diesel particulate filters with a silencer, the customer no longer needs two separate units that take up a lot of space. Our PERMIT Filter/Silencer does the job of both by eliminating emissions while at the same time providing sound reduction. It also reduces the overall cost.”

“We looked at silencer designs already on the market and knew we could design a better, more efficient product that also incorporated our CARB verified PERMIT Filters,” concluded Michael Roach, President of CleanAIR Systems. “It was a real group effort with our engineering, manufacturing and technical sales staff all offering input as to what our customers wanted in an emissions control product. Our team designed a premium product using stainless steel construction, incorporating our PERMIT Filters and still maintained a comparable price advantage. In this way all facilities from schools and hospitals to power generation plants can afford to install a better emissions control product.”

Find High Resolution Photos for this press release

View press release as PDF

Use a CleanAIR Logo

See a Slide Show with examples of the PERMIT Filter/Silencer

View a Video to see how the PERMIT Filter/Silencer works on a generator

Contact us: mailto:louise@cleanairsys.com

CleanAIR Particulate Filters Protect Miners’ Exposure to Diesel Emissions

Santa Fe, NM -- February 22 -- Miners have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. While many federal regulations protect miners from on-the-job hazards, it has not always been easy to protect the air they breathe. Now new standards decided on February 9th by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will help miners breathe easier by limiting exposure to diesel emissions, specifically fine carbon particles (particulate matter) which have been linked to lung cancer and respiratory illnesses. Produced by heavy equipment operating within the mines, particulate matter can essentially be eliminated by retrofitting vehicles with diesel particulate filters, such as the products manufactured by CleanAIR Systems, Inc.

A leading supplier to the mining industry of emissions control technology, CleanAIR diesel particulate filters are currently installed in twenty-six mines located throughout eight states. The CleanAIR PERMIT FBC™ Filter reduces particulate matter by over 85%, as well as reducing deadly carbon monoxide (CO) by up to 90% and hydrocarbons (HC) by as much as 90%. At the same time, the CleanAIR PERMIT FBC™ does not increase emissions of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which also poses a serious air quality problem within mines. The PERMIT FBC™ can reduce emissions while operating using any diesel fuel from high-sulfur diesel to ultra-low sulfur diesel, as well as biodiesel.

The CleanAIR PERMIT FBC™ Filter was tested in 2003 by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and found acceptable for use in mines.

“We have been working with the mining industry for a long time in the United States and Canada to solve emissions problems,” explains Michael Roach, President of CleanAIR Systems. “The PERMIT FBC™ Filter is a proven solution for reducing particulate matter, CO and HC, while not increasing emissions of NO2. Our goal in developing this product was to create a filter for the specialized environment of underground mining and, at the same time, protect miners from dangerous emissions.”

The February court decision affects 16,000 miners across the country, working mostly in metal (such as gold) and non-metal mines (such as limestone). Coal mines are subject to different regulations, with many already installing filters to control emissions.

Established in 1993, CleanAIR Systems, Inc. located in Santa Fe, NM, is a technology-based corporation manufacturing emissions control systems with worldwide distribution. Their products are designed to control air pollution for on- and off-road vehicles, as well as stationary machinery and power generation. CleanAIR – Committed to a Cleaner Environment.

For more information, visit www.cleanairsys.com

New Mexico Company Exhibiting at International Conference

Santa Fe, NM – November 1, 2006 – When you flip on a switch, do you know where your electricity comes from? Or what kind of environmental impact it has on the earth? Many of us take for granted how electricity is generated, the fuel used in the process of generation and the pollution produced as a result of burning this fuel. For those attending Power-Gen International 2006 in Orlando, Florida from November 28-30, the focus is all about the where, when and how of power generation. For one New Mexico company, it will be an opportunity to present their state-of-the-art emissions control technology to an international audience.

CleanAIR Systems designs, tests, and manufactures equipment to substantially reduce air pollution produced by vehicles, stationary engines and power plants. For the past four years, a major part of CleanAIR’s business has been helping power plants, hospitals and companies using diesel stationary generators as a back-up power supply, to decrease their emissions of particulate matter (black smoke), carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. Most recently CleanAIR Systems has developed technology to also reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides or NOx. A major problem in the fight against air pollution and global warming, NOx is produced by all power generation plants that burn fuel to make electricity (coal, natural gas, diesel, and even biodiesel).

As an exhibitor at Power-Gen, CleanAIR Systems will present their emissions control technology to over 16,000 attendees from all parts of the globe. Billed as the world’s largest conference on power generation, the exhibition will also boast 1,000 exhibitors representing the full scope of this market segment from coal-fired power plants to solar energy. According to the Power-Gen website, “Power-Gen International focuses on educating the industry on key trends and technologies impacting power generation, including operation, maintenance, construction, upgrading and design of natural gas and coal plants, plus renewable energy alternatives. Exhibits feature the latest in power products and technologies.”

Established in 1993, CleanAIR Systems, Inc. located in Santa Fe, NM, is a technology-based corporation manufacturing emissions control systems with worldwide distribution. Their products are designed to control air pollution for on- and off-road vehicles, as well as stationary machinery and power generation.