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Clean School Bus USA Summit, Washington, D.C.

04/07/2003
Remarks of Governor Christine Todd Whitman,
Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
at the
Clean School Bus USA Summit
Washington, D.C.

April 7, 2003


Good afternoon. I want to begin by thanking all of you for being here for this important summit. As you have heard from some of my colleagues earlier today, EPA has some big plans when it comes to reducing the emissions from America = s 440,000 school buses.

We want to reduce school bus idling by 30 minutes per bus per day by 2005. And we want every public school bus that travels on America = s roads to be a clean school bus by the year 2010. Those are big plans B and there = s no way we could make them happen alone.

That = s why I am so pleased to see so many of you here, representing every sector of our society that can contribute to this effort. From manufacturers to public health organizations, from oil companies to environmental groups, and from government at every level, this effort is making some strange bedfellows indeed. But it is partnerships like these that prove that when we share common goals we can find common ground B and all of us here share the goal of cleaning up school bus exhaust.

Earlier today I was in Ambler, Pennsylvania where I was able to announce a partnership among EPA, the Pennsylvania DEP, the Wissahickon School District, and the 3M Corporation to retrofit 45 school buses in that district. Partnerships such as this, and so many others around the country, are exactly what we need to make our plans become reality.

Please accept my thanks for being here and for making the commitment to clean air for children all across America. Thank you.