CONTACT: Sasha Tenenbaum
Senior Manager, Media and Public Engagement
stenenbaum@momscleanairforce.org
(917) 887-0146
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched its 2022 Clean School Bus Program by opening its online rebate application portal. Using $5 billion in funding allocated through the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the agency is poised to enable hundreds of school districts to transition from dirty diesel-powered buses to zero-tailpipe-pollution electric ones. EPA’s new Clean School Bus Program will distribute $5 billion over the next five years to help clean up the nation’s iconic yellow school bus fleet.
In response, Public Health Policy Director Molly Rauch issued the following statement:
“Today marks a milestone. By enabling hundreds of schools across the country to acquire electric school buses, this Administration is making progress toward cleaning up the air and protecting our communities from climate change.
“The millions of children who ride diesel-powered school buses to and from school each day are exposed to harmful diesel pollution that can trigger asthma attacks and interfere with their ability to learn. Electric school buses are a safer alternative. They are healthier for our lungs and for our climate.
“The dangers of dirty diesel vehicles are well known. Diesel pollution causes cancer. It triggers asthma attacks. It damages the lungs and the heart. It cuts short lives. It can seep inside the bus cabin from the tailpipe and get trapped inside the bus. This is bad for the children and bad for the bus drivers. Diesel buses have no business being in the places where our children live, learn, and play.
“Moms and dads across the country welcome this historic opportunity to bring electric buses to our communities. We want a clean ride for kids. We want clean air in our communities. And we want a stable climate for our families and our communities. Electrifying the nation’s school bus fleet gets us rolling on the road to achieve these goals. We encourage school districts to take advantage of this opportunity to transition from dirty diesel-powered school buses to zero-tailpipe-pollution electric buses.”
Moms Clean Air Force has advocated for federal funding for zero-pollution, electric school buses for several years. Over 20 million US children ride nearly 500,000 school buses, most which run on diesel, whose exhaust is a known carcinogen that can lead to or worsen respiratory illnesses like asthma. Low-income students and Black, Indigenous, Latino and students of color are more likely to ride in school buses and be exposed to harmful pollution from heavy duty vehicles like school buses. Moms Clean Air Force supports an equitable transition to zero-tailpipe-pollution school buses that won’t pollute the air our children and communities breathe.
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
To interview Molly Rauch, please contact Sasha Tenenbaum, (917) 887-0146, stenenbaum@momscleanairforce.org.
RESOURCES
- Overviews: “Electric School Buses” and “Moms Clean Air Force on TODAY Show!”
- Environmental Justice and Electric School Buses: “Why Electric School Buses Are An Environmental Justice Issue”