Clean Air Project
Published Information:
Promising practices to improve community performance and sustainablity --EPA CARE
General Program Information:
In partnership with key stakeholders such as the St. Louis Office of Air Pollution Control, American Lung Association, the Washington University Environmental Law Clinic, East-West Gateway, the City of St. Louis Office of the Mayor and St. Louis City Board of Alderman, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Centers, Inc., the Grace Hill Clean Air Project has made huge strides to reduce emissions and improve air quality for all residents in St. Louis City, especially along the industrial corridor of the Mississippi River.
The St. Louis Public Schools passed a district wide ordinance to reduce idling of school buses by instituting “no idling zones” at all 88 school facilities. In addition all local bus companies have no idling policies in force and are training their drivers.
The City of St. Louis passed and consequently amended Ordinance #65645, which limits drivers from idling their cars longer than 10 minutes to five minutes in any hour. The current ordinance # is 68137. Currently, the Board of Alderman and Office of the Mayor are teaming together, with the project to encourage the city’s enforcement of the amended ordinance.
The Grace Hill Clean Air Project was originally funded through a two year Community Action for a Renewed Environment grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 and is currently funded by EPA Blue Skyways Collaborative and an AARA Retrofit funding program.
This year the project will complete the retrofit of over 500 First Student School buses which will save more than 26.5 tons of particulate matter and 345.2 tons of hydrocarbons from entering the cabs of the buses and the air the students/drivers breathe per year.
In addition, an AARA grant will fund the retrofit of 33 St. Louis City Parks, Refuse and Traffic Division trucks and on and off-road equipment, 115 St. Louis City Lambert Airport Support vehicles, 32 local independent owner and operator fleet vehicles, and 50 emergency response vehicles within the St. Louis Fire Department fleet.
Our current grant will save 87,884 gallons of diesel fuel per year, 454 tons of CO2, 10.4 tons of NOX and will meet accomplishments in community education, driver and student outreach, give policymakers a greater understanding of the critical air issues among residents, business owners and consumers, specifically in North St. Louis City.
The Grace Hill Clean Air Project sponsored the Idle Free "Turn The Key" Student Art Contest for students at St. Louis Public Schools. The artwork focuses on the benefits of idle free school bus zones and clean air.
