New Program Teaches As It Reduces Iowa's Air Pollution
RADCLIFFE, IA—August 8, 2002--A new environmental program will not only
reduce pollution caused by Iowa’s school buses, but also use program findings to
teach students about protecting the environment and lives into the future.
The Bus Emissions Education Program (BEEP) introduced last week at the Iowa
School Transportation Conference in Des Moines is a five-year program to test,
analyze tailpipe emissions from the state’s 4500 diesel-powered school buses.
Data from those tests will form the basis of an environment program that will be
incorporated into Iowa school science classes.
"It’s a wonderful model for using real life applications in teaching," said
Troyce Fisher, President of the 2000-member School Administrators of Iowa (SAI).
"It will help students see that pollution is not limited exclusively to major
Diesel exhaust has been linked to a variety of health conditions, including
cancer, heart disease and respiratory ailments. Asthma is the leading cause of
disability among children, afflicting about 3.7 million children nationwide,
according the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics.
BEEP was developed in response to a report from the Union of Concerned
Scientists earlier this year that ranked Iowa’s school bus fleet among the
heaviest polluters in the U.S. The study reported Iowa school buses are emitting
nearly 1250 tons of smog and soot a year.
The BEEP program is a partnership of SAI, the Iowa Departments of Education and
Natural Resources, the Iowa Pupil Transportation Association and Mirenco, Inc.,
and emissions control company.
"Clean running school buses contribute to healthier kids and a cleaner
environment," said Fisher, "and can improve the school district’s bottom line.
If fuel is being used more efficiently and literally not going up in smoke,
districts will save money."
"We have found that age alone doesn’t necessarily indicate whether a bus is
running clean," said Dwayne Fosseen, CEO of Mirenco. "It’s not uncommon to see
an older bus test cleaner than a newer one."
According to Fosseen, testing tailpipe emission is like checking a person’s
blood pressure. "It’s not a complete picture, but it gives you a good idea of
where to start."
Mirenco is a Radcliffe, Iowa-based Company that specializes in patented vehicle
management technology and consultative services for reducing vehicle emissions,
improving fuel economy and lengthening the service life of heavy-duty diesel
vehicles. More information is available at
www.mirenco.com, or via e-mail at
email@example.com or by calling
Some of the statements made in this press release are forward-looking in
nature. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in
forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning Mirenco, Inc. can
be found within Mirenco's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Statements in this release should be evaluated in light of this additional