BARNESVILLE — Barnesville Exempted Village School District has been designated as an Ohio Green Fleet by Clean Fuels Ohio’s statewide Ohio Green Fleets program.

The program recognizes fleets efficiency and environmental performance. Designated Ohio Green Fleets provide a community service by improving air quality and reducing Ohio’s dependence on imported petroleum. Barnesville schools earned designation as a five-star Ohio Green Fleet. Fleets are evaluated based on policies they have implemented to reduce vehicle emissions and reliance on petroleum fuels. Barnesville added nine new propane-fueled school buses in spring 2018.

The school district serves about 1,400 students in three schools: Barnesville Elementary, Barnesville Middle and Barnesville High.

Ohio Green Fleets is a comprehensive program designed by Clean Fuels Ohio to improve the environmental performance and efficiency of public and private fleets. The Ohio Green Fleets program consists of three core components: 1. Direct consultation with fleet managers to develop a Green Fleet management plan tailored to specific organizational needs. 2. Hands-on support and assistance with implementation, including assistance in seeking grant funding to reduce implementation costs. 3. Recognition of environmental leaders through a five-star rating system that scores fleets based on measurable reductions in vehicle emissions and improvements in efficiency.

Clean Fuels Ohio has been running the Ohio Green Fleets program since 2008. As of 2018, the program has enrolled more than 700 fleets in the program and formally recognized 92 fleets as certified Ohio Green Fleets.

These 92 certified Ohio Green Fleets have displaced a combined annual total of 21,654,720 gallons of petroleum and eliminated more than 2,996 tons of nitrogen oxide, 198 tons of particulate matter, 347 tons of volatile organic compounds and 206,416 tons of carbon dioxide.