Countywide : Diesel Fuel Alternatives to Be Tested in Buses
Three Orange County Transit District buses will soon begin testing propane, methanol and compressed natural gas as alternatives to diesel fuel.
The 2-year study is aimed at finding ways for buses to comply with the federal Clean Air Act, which has a 1991 deadline for meeting strict emission standards.
The $2.3-million cost of the study will be paid by the federal Urban Mass Transportation Administration and the Air Quality Management District.
The transit district has 440 buses and 135 dial-a-ride vans. The vans are already propane-fueled.
A public hearing on the planned test is scheduled for 9 a.m. Dec. 19 at the Orange County Transit District’s administration building, 11222 Acacia Parkway, Garden Grove.
Joanne Curran, transit district spokeswoman, said all three alternate fuels will be tried in three test buses on a rotating schedule. The buses will follow their normal service routes. Evaluation of the fuels will include emissions, fuel economy and engine durability, cost, storage and handling, waste disposal and availability.
The cleanest-burning fuel may not be practical to use once other factors are considered, Curran said. For example, methanol has a reputation for increasing the rate of engine failures.
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