MTA Votes to Stop Buying Buses That Burn Diesel Fuel : Environment: Agency announces it will only purchase vehicles that use cleaner substances. Move will cut air pollution in the region by about 1%.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the nation’s second-largest bus operator, voted unanimously Wednesday to purchase only “clean-fuel” buses for its fleet and gradually phase out its smoky diesel buses.

Transportation and air quality officials said the action will help reduce the region’s air pollution and sends a bold environmental message to industry and transit agencies.

“It is a milestone, like the elimination of back-yard garbage incinerators,” said Paul Wuebben, clean fuels officer for the South Coast Air Quality Management District. “This will be the first commitment of any transit agency in the country to never buy the diesel bus again.”

Already, the MTA’s 2,295 buses include 332 that are powered by methanol. With the new policy, the agency will branch out to buses powered by natural gas, and eventually replace the current fleet with buses that emit one-eighth the amount of pollutants.

Because the technology is relatively new and because no one can predict which alternative fuel will prove most reliable, the MTA will buy three different types of buses: methanol, compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas.

The alternative-fuel buses cost more than conventional buses, and setting up facilities to accommodate the new fuels and using them will cost the agency an additional $3 million a year, said Art Leahy, MTA’s executive officer of operations.

But those costs may be offset by a proposed AQMD credit-trading program that would allow companies and agencies to sell pollution credits if they reduce their emissions beyond government mandates.

Leahy said quality of life issues also must be considered when calculating costs.

“The least expensive is a diesel bus with no air conditioning, no windows, no seats, no wheelchair lifts. But people want transportation, they want service, so we are buying a lot of benefits. It isn’t just a matter of providing the least expensive cost,” he said.

Cleaner Buses

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has decided to invest in buses powered by alternative fuels, including liquefied natural gas, compressed natural gas and methanol.

Emissions

Here’s how emissions from MTA buses compare to the emissions from some of the region’s major stationary sources of NOx, including power plants and refineries:

Tons per year

MTA buses: 2,776

Chevron in El Segundo: 2,497

Union Oil in Wilmington: 1,671

L.A. DWP plant in Long Beach: 800

SoCal Edison in Huntington Beach: 519

Pasadena DWP: 197

Arco Kiln in Carson: 219

Comparing Fuels

Here’s a look at how newer fuels comapre in undesirable emissions to the cleansest burning diesel fuel now available.

Oxides of nitrogen (Grams per mile)

“Cleaner” diesel: 21.5 Liquefied natural gas: 10.25

Compressed natural gas: 10.25

Methanol: 8.6

Particulate soot (Grams per mile)

“Cleaner” diesel: .37

Methanol: .13

Compressed natural gas: .08

Liquefied natural gas: .08

Source: Air Quality Management District