CONTACT: Sasha Tenenbaum
Senior Manager, Media and Public Engagement
stenenbaum@momscleanairforce.org
(917) 887-0146
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, EPA announced nearly $1 billion in grant awards through its Clean School Bus Program. This is approximately double what the agency had originally announced it would award during this funding cycle, and comes as there is high and growing demand for cleaner vehicles on our roads. Using funds allocated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this is the first round of awards that will be distributed as grants. Last year, the Biden-Harris Administration also awarded school districts nearly $1 billion in clean school bus funding through its rebate competition, which helped bring electric school bus commitments to 49 states.
In response, Senior Legislative and Regulatory Policy Manager Melody Reis issued the following statement:
“Moms applaud EPA’s decision to raise the award amount to help meet the nation’s overwhelming demand for clean school buses. The Clean School Bus Program awards have helped to bring nearly 5,000 clean school buses to school districts, replacing dirty diesel buses that spew health-harming exhaust into our communities. With this new round of robust funding, EPA projects that nearly 7 million more kids will have access to a clean ride to school. We are deeply encouraged by this demonstrated commitment to improving the health of our children and the planet.
“Tailpipe pollution from diesel school buses doesn’t just smell bad–it’s dangerous. It’s known to trigger asthma attacks, interfere with learning, and can even cause cancer. Electric school buses, on the other hand, do not produce any tailpipe pollution, eliminating the health risks associated with exhaust.
“Thanks to EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, more and more diesel buses are being replaced with electric models, but the vast majority of the nation’s nearly 500,000 school buses still run on fossil fuels. Low-income students and students of color are disproportionately vulnerable to the health impacts of dirty diesel buses because they are more likely to rely on school buses for transportation and are more likely to live near other major sources of pollution. We look forward to working with EPA to bring more electric school buses to communities–prioritizing those facing economic, racial, and environmental injustice– until every child has access to the clean air that they deserve!”