EPA Clean School Bus Awards Will Transform Kids’ Commute to School

In response to the announcement of the first round of funding awards for the Biden Administration’s Clean School Bus Program, which is allocating nearly $1 billion in rebates for clean school buses through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Evergreen Action State Policy Director Justin Balik released the following statement:

“Kids across the country will be breathing easier thanks to today’s announcement of the first round of recipients of EPA’s Clean School Bus Program rebates. This funding will allow school districts to become leaders in the effort to clean up the most polluting sector of our economy—transportation. Traditional diesel-fueled school buses spew toxic levels of air pollution that threaten child health and development. And the drive to school is all the more dangerous for students in many communities of color already facing cumulative impacts of high pollution levels. It’s time we throw out fossil-fueled school buses that are poisoning our kids, and muster the gumption to usher in a new era of clean school buses.

“Electrifying our vehicles and moving away from dependence on fossil-fueled transportation gives us the best chance at defeating the climate crisis, and protects local and frontline communities hit first and worst by climate change and poisonous pollution. We commend the Biden administration for prioritizing rebates for zero-emission buses, demonstrating that toxic school bus rides can soon be a thing of the past. The program also presents a true leadership opportunity for states, which should supplement these federal resources with additional funding, and technical support for their school districts, while enacting bus electrification timelines. We thank Vice President Harris for her long-standing advocacy for electric school buses and look forward to watching scores of them hit the road soon.”

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