The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' Department of Transportation has worked to keep children safe not only when transporting them back and forth to school, but also by reducing potentially harmful emissions in bus cabins. For those efforts, the department was recognized by the Carolinas Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) with an Airkeeper Award.

Every year, the CCAC honors individuals and groups in the Charlotte region as "Airkeepers" for restoring clean and safe air in the community. CMS was recognized among five recipients for their pursuit and receipt of funding to retrofit diesel school buses that reduce harmful emissions. The district also was praised for participation in
CCAC's recent diesel school bus study to evaluate air quality inside the cabins and outside air quality, using different retrofit technologies and fuels. Carol Stamper, executive director of CMS Transportation,
accepted the award during CCAC's Annual Fall Regional Seminar and Meeting on November 14.

"It is an honor to receive this award on behalf of the CMS Transportation Department," said Stamper. "There is a strong commitment to continue to research and implement technologies, to the extent funding and resources are available, to assist in reducing emissions as we transport our children within the Charlotte community."

Founded in 2002, CCAC is a non-profit group serving as the citizens' voice for air quality in the Charlotte
bi-state15-county metro region.

Its goals include promoting air quality awareness and education to citizens, businesses and political leaders and stimulating broad-based community involvement.