Contact: Sasha Tenenbaum, stenenbaum@momscleanairforce.org, 917-887-0146
Washington, DC – Yesterday, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) led a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce the Renew America’s Schools Act, legislation that would improve indoor air quality in schools and reduce harmful climate pollution. This bipartisan bill is being cosponsored by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).
The Renew America’s Schools Act prioritizes the health and safety of our children in their places of learning. If passed into law, the act will provide funding to K-12 schools to undertake energy efficiency improvements, including:
- Facility improvements for air quality, daylighting, ventilation, and lighting upgrades;
- The installation of renewable energy technologies to power school systems;
- The purchase of zero-emissions vehicles including electric school buses, and the installation of necessary infrastructure for those vehicles.
“I grew up attending a Title 1 school, and my children currently attend that same school,” said Jennifer Ann Cantley, Nevada Field Organizer for Moms Clean Air Force. “Its infrastructure has not been improved since I was a young girl. As someone with asthma, and as a mother to two little boys who have asthma, I know firsthand that the environmental condition of the school building is directly related to the health and well-being of the students who learn there. Cleaning up air pollution, mold, and other environmental problems inside the school will help my sons and so many others like them. It brings great joy to my heart knowing that we are taking action to clean up schools, because that will lead to a healthier future for our children.”
Schools are places of learning, but that does not mean they are necessarily healthy. The COVID pandemic has focused a spotlight on school ventilation, which is just one of the many environmental health concerns in school settings. Children can be exposed to mold, poor air quality, tailpipe pollution, and other potential health harms in and around their schools.
“I applaud Senator Cortez Masto’s leadership in introducing the Renew America’s Schools Act,” said Cinthia Zermeño Moore, Nevada field organizer for Moms Clean Air Force and co-lead for EcoMadres, a program that brings Latina moms together to address issues of clean air, climate change, and toxics that affect the health of Latino children and families. “As someone who had to ride in toxic diesel school buses growing up, I am heartened to know that children will now have an opportunity to ride school buses that will no longer put their health at risk. This is incredibly important to the Latino community, because 60% of Latino children are more at risk of asthma attacks exacerbated by air pollution. This is an important step in the right direction in improving the health of our children while at the same time helping our environment.”
Moms Clean Air Force supports the use of clean and renewable energy sources in school facilities and a transition to 100% electric school buses for transporting children to and from school. Healthy school facilities can help our children succeed in school and stay healthy. The Renew America’s Schools Act will help our children learn better and perform at their full potential, while cutting harmful climate pollution. It comes on the heels of other congressional efforts to electrify the school bus fleet, including the Clean School Bus Act, introduced last month by Senators Cortez Masto and Patty Murray (D-WA).
RESOURCES:
Our Electric School Buses webpage is found here.
Our statement in support of the Clean School Bus Act is here.