Mirenco Helps Iowa Schools Clear Five Tons of Soot from the Air
RADCLIFFE, Iowa – --(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 26, 2003--Mirenco, Inc., (OTCBB:MREO)
the contractor for the Bus Emissions Education Program (BEEP), helped Iowa
schools clear an estimated five tons of soot from the air through improvements
made to Iowa’s nearly 5,000 diesel school buses.
Mirenco tests the tailpipe emissions from Iowa’s diesel school buses twice each
year and manages the emissions database for the non-profit organization known as
BEEP, which is a five-year pilot project. Those emissions tests provide
diagnostic information to the district that allows them to focus their
maintenance dollars on the buses that need the most attention. Black tailpipe
smoke signals engine deterioration and a need for immediate maintenance, as well
as wasted fuel.
The efforts of Mirenco, and other partners in the project, prevented an
estimated five tons of particulate matter from polluting the air. The pilot
project also saved Iowa school districts an estimated 8,600 gallons of diesel
fuel by operating their buses more efficiently. In addition, schools throughout
Iowa saved $4 million in operating costs by extending the life of their buses,
according to statistics compiled by Mirenco.
Mirenco calculated the estimated soot reduction and fuel savings for BEEP based
on a formula that converts opacity to weight in grams and includes horsepower,
fuel usage, and opacity among the 4,702 diesel school buses in Iowa.
Iowa schools cleared the air of five tons of soot by reducing the average
opacity level of an Iowa diesel school bus by 16 percent to a reading of 13.7 in
the first year of the five-year BEEP pilot project. Mirenco started testing
school bus emissions for the pilot project in February of 2002.
Opacity measures the amount of light that is blocked by soot and other
particulate matter in tailpipe exhaust. Opacity ranges from zero for clear air
to 100 percent blockage when black smoke and raw, unburned fuel are expelled
from the tailpipe.
Also, the number of Iowa school buses classified as heavy emitters was cut in
half from 128 to 63 in the first year of the emissions testing program. Buses
with 55 percent opacity or higher are considered heavy emitters and would fail
emissions tests in many states with strict clean-air standards, such as
California. In those states, schools with heavy-emitting buses would face fines
and the buses could be forced out of service.
The BEEP initiative is the first voluntary school bus emissions testing program
in the nation. BEEP is a partnership among Mirenco, Inc., the Iowa Department of
Education, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, School Administrators of Iowa,
and Iowa Pupil Transportation Association.
“Mirenco and the other BEEP partners have shown other states how schools can use
emissions data as an essential diagnostic tool for school bus maintenance,” said
Mirenco CEO Dwayne Fosseen.
“We are proud that Mirenco is a part of this cooperative effort to clear Iowa’s
air of five tons of soot. But we know this is only the start of what can happen
in the future in Iowa and throughout the nation. This formula can easily be
replicated in school districts throughout the country,” Fosseen said.
About Mirenco
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
info@mirenco.com or by calling
800.423.9903.
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
information.
Contact Information:
Dwayne Fosseen
fosseen@mirenco.com
800-423-9903
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