DIAMOND BAR, Calif. - The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) is proposing to eliminate diesel fuel-powered vehicles from California's roads. On March 9, the district released an environmental assessment of that proposal which affects all public agencies operating 15 or more vehicles, including school bus operators.

Initially, the AQMD developed Rule 1190 which in effect grouped all operators in a single entity. It has since divided that rule into six separate rules for different vehicle groups in order to provide "time to more closely tailor the requirements to individual fleet operations."

Among those rules is Rule 1195 Clean On-Road School Buses which is due in part to the lobbying efforts of Southern Californian school bus operators who argued the proposal would create significant financial difficulties for school districts. An AQMD spokesman said the specific guidelines of Rule 1195 however, would likely not be established until a public hearing slated to take place in July.

Several California school transporters noted the AQMD has been receptive to their financial concerns since requiring those fleets to switch to alternative fuels could force cutbacks in service. The result would put many student passengers back into passenger cars, lowering safety while increasing pollution and traffic - exactly what the AQMD is seeking to reduce. In addition, there were concerns the original proposal would pit environmental improvements against books in the classroom.