Portsmouth, NH – Since November school children in Portsmouth are breathing easier at the bus stop. The city announced it would partner with Simply Green Biofuels in an effort to run the entirety of the city’s school bus fleet
with biodiesel fuel. Portsmouth-based Simply Green is expecting to provide anywhere between 30,000 and 40,000 gallons annually of its B5 blend.
The measure mimics similar initiatives that have already been adopted in Durham, where the Oyster River School District recently switched its fleet over to the alternative fuel. Meanwhile, the Portsmouth Department of Public Works has beenrunning many of their vehicles on biodiesel since late last year.
Back in April, 75 people attending the Portsmouth Sustainability Fair signed a petition to the school board requesting that the city’s buses be switched over to biodiesel. Since then, support for the measure has grown steadily, as success stories from cities around the country proved that switching school buses to biodiesel was not only more environmentally friendly, but cost effective as well.
For Joel Bobbett, sales manager at Simply Green, the partnership represents a significant coup for the company. “We’re thrilled every time we sign up a new customer, whether it’s a business or a homeowner,” says Bobbett. “But there’s something special about knowing that we’ll be helping the city make that transition to green, and that all these kids will be enjoying a healthier, greener commute every day.”
According to Bobbett, switching the fleet to biodiesel will reduce carbon emissions by over 39,000 pounds annually – the equivalent to planting close to 2200 trees – and save the city $10,000 a year on labor and fuel efficiency.
The measure will also help reduce many of the potential health risks posed to small children by the burning of traditional diesel. On top of being a known asthma trigger, regular diesel can account for 5 to 15 times more particulate exposure, while increasing the risk of cancer and other health problems.
Simply Green received a contract with First Student, the national school bus provider which services the city of Portsmouth, as well as 60,000 school buses across the country. The company recently spearheaded a similar partnership in Brattleboro, Vermont, and is looking to do the same in other cities and towns throughout the country.
“Needless to say, we’re proud to help Portsmouth make the conversion to biofuels to help decrease our current environmental impact, and also to help ensure environmental stability for the future generations that we transport today,” said First Student’s Mike Berounsky.
In part due to the effects of colder winter temperatures on purer forms of biodiesel, the school district decided to go with the blended variety to start. Still, Bobbett sees the initiative as a step in the right direction. “Portsmouth is doing what only a handful of communities across the state and across the country are doing,” he says.
“Any way you look at it, the city and its schools just got a lot greener, and that’s what counts.”
Simply Green provides biodiesel and BioHeat alternatives to diesel and heating oil that can be used without any changes to existing equipment. For more information about Simply Green, go to www.simplygreenbiofuels.com