While New Jersey garnered poor to above average grades in a national study that measured school bus pollution efforts across the nation, its future is looking cleaner.

The “School Bus Pollution Report Card 2006,” conducted by the Cambridge, Mass.-based Union of Concerned Scientists, found that New Jersey’s work against smog pollution ranked high, but its overall cleanup program rated “poor.”

The independent non-profit group graded states’ school buses in three categories: Soot pollution, clean-up, and smog pollution. New Jersey received a “B” for its soot pollution, which is a toxic mix of contaminants generated from tailpipes and leaky crankcases, or engines. This category warranted greatest concern because it could indicate toxic “hot spots” near buses.

The state earned an “above average” grade for its smog pollution, which results from tailpipe emissions.

The report rated New Jersey “poor” for its clean-up, which calculates the percent of school bus soot reduced through pollution control retrofits and use of cleaner fuels such as natural gas and biodiesel.

Improvement Seen Nonetheless, the group of scientists noted that New Jersey’s lackluster rating will likely improve in coming years as the state executes a law requiring crankcase filtration systems, which will reduce pollution inside buses.