36 new natural-gas buses, which save money and pollute less, are added to Jordan School District’s fleet

Jordan School District now has the largest fleet of natural-gas fueled school buses in Utah.

The district, which covers much of the Salt Lake Valley’s south end, added 36 new CNG — or compressed natural gas — buses to its transportation department Wednesday. It now has a total of 105. (That’s about twice as many as the Utah Transit Authority operates.)

The buses emit 40 to 86 percent less particulate matter compared to old diesel school buses. And they save the district about $630,000 in fuel costs each year, according to a news release.