EDITOR:
I was encouraged to see that the city of Kensington wants to protect its water supply from a possible toxic diesel fuel tank spill. One solution was to move the tank servicing school buses to another site, hopefully avoiding a spill there. The second solution was to have the buses fill up at a gas station at an added annual cost of $9,000.
I propose a third alternative - avoid the diesel tank in the first place. Let Kensington be a test site for electric school buses. Use the savings from moving the tank to put up solar panels that would augment the electricity used to run the school buses. With the rising cost of fossil fuels, the presumed commitment of the Province to reduce carbon emissions, and a desire to protect students and drivers from the toxic fumes emitted by the buses, this solution is inevitable. Why wait? Although the initial cost of electric school buses is higher, the operating costs are significantly less. They do not use diesel fuel or need oil changes. They do not have exhaust systems or belts and hoses that need to be replaced. They do not need to run idle when awaiting passengers. By erecting solar panels, the electric operating costs, which are already less than diesel fuel, can be lowered even further.
I hope the city fathers of Kensington and the Province will take a forward approach, eliminating all risk and contributing to a better environment.
Jane Thomas,
Bonshaw
