GARY | Cameras flashed into the smiling eyes of kindergartner Anthony Blasdell as he stepped off his school bus into a crowd of Indiana dignitaries and got a movie star's red carpet treatment from the Clean Air Club.

"There's a lot of people outside," he said as he walked single file with his friends receiving accolades from every teacher along the long walk to his classroom. "And look, I've got two stickers."

Students at Grissom Elementary School were learning what it means to be "green" and breathe clean air by celebrating the use of biodiesel fuel in seven of the contracted school buses that transport them daily.

Kickert School Bus Lines Inc, in Lansing, is owned and operated by Cook-Illinois Corp., an Oak Forest-based company, which operates 1,800 buses that service more than 200 school districts.

Chief Operating Officer John Benish urged the students to join the Clean Air Club by going to the eco-friendly, interactive Web site to learn about biodiesel and the environment.

"The health of our children is of the utmost importance and by using biodiesel fuel in our buses, we're sending a message that we care about our children and the environment," said Principal Anne Wodetzki.

The alternative fuel is 80 percent petroleum diesel and 20 percent vegetable soybean oil. The fuel reduces exhaust emissions, minimizes black exhaust smoke, odors, carbon monoxide and other pollutants.

Benish said the cost for the fuel is slightly higher than regular diesel. but can be partially offset by federal grant funds and state tax breaks.

No engine modifications are required and emissions are reduced by about 30 percent. The company is in its third year of using biodiesel and last year alone it lowered nearly 1000 tons of toxic emissions by switching to biodiesel.

Sheila Batka, of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said 450,000 buses are used daily in the country.

South Shore Clean Cities Inc. is a St. John-based nonprofit group that urges reduction of petroleum consumption in the transportation sector by advancing the use of alternative fuels and vehicles.

Coordinator Carl Lisek said locally there has been a 1000 percent increase in alternative fuels. Locally, U.S. Steel is using biodiesel, as well as such municipalities as LaPorte, Michigan City and Valparaiso.

Cook-Illinois get its fuel from Paulson Oil Co. in Chesterton.

Lisak said there are only 11 biodiesel pumps in Indiana. Chicago's Clean Cities group could not be reached for Illinois availability.

Large industries typically have their own tank and distribution systems, Lisak added. However, efforts are being made to bring pumps to more area retailers.