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December 17, 2019 (BOSTON, MA) – Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) notified DATTCO, Inc. today that it plans to sue the transportation provider for Clean Air Act violations. The company’s school buses have been observed frequently violating federal and state laws regulating prolonged vehicle idling, spreading toxic fumes into nearby neighborhoods and playgrounds.
“Diesel exhaust pollution robs children of their futures,” said Kenta Tsuda, Staff Attorney at CLF. “Kids’ health should not be put at risk simply by riding the school bus or playing outside. DATTCO must immediately stop spreading toxic pollution in the communities it’s meant to serve.”
DATTCO serves more than 30 school districts across the state of Connecticut and also provides private coach bus services. CLF investigators observed the company’s buses idling for extended periods, in violation of federal and state law, on numerous occasions. The violations occurred in cities and towns throughout Connecticut, including New Haven, Bridgeport, Durham and New Canaan.
Idling vehicles release harmful exhaust filled with fine particulate matter and toxic emissions. As the vehicles idle, these materials accumulate in the surrounding air. When inhaled, this exhaust can cause lung damage, aggravate conditions like asthma and bronchitis, and has been linked to decreased cognitive ability, increased incidence of heart disease, multiple kinds of cancer, and premature death. Children are particularly susceptible to these harms.
This is the latest case in CLF’s anti-idling campaign, with previous lawsuits announced against several transportation companies in Massachusetts.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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