EPA Rebates to Fund Cleaner School Buses in 88 Communities

(January 20, 2017) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded more than $7.7 million to replace or retrofit 401 older diesel school buses. The funds are going to 88 school bus fleets in 27 states, each of which will receive rebates through EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funding. The new and retrofitted buses will reduce pollutants that are linked to health problems such as asthma and lung damage.

Applicants replacing buses with engine model years of 2006 and older will receive rebates of between $15,000 and $25,000, depending on the size of the bus. Applicants also had the option of retrofitting school buses with engine model years between 1994 and 2006 with a diesel oxidation catalyst and a closed crankcase ventilation system (DOC plus CCV) to reduce toxic emissions. EPA will fully refund the cost of these devices up to $4000.

EPA has implemented standards to make newer diesel engines more than 90% cleaner, but many older diesel school buses are still operating. These older diesel engines emit large amounts of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which are linked to instances of aggravated asthma, lung damage, and other serious health prob- lems. Since 2008, the DERA program has funded more than 700 clean-diesel projects across the country, reducing emissions in more than 70,000 engines.

“Thanks to DERA funding, we are protecting our children from breathing diesel emissions as they travel to school,” said Christopher Grundler, director of EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality. “Nearly 17,000 of our country’s schools are located within steps of a heavily traveled road, potentially exposing more than six million children to traffic-related pollution at a time when their developing lungs are particularly particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution.”