EPA Awards $300,000 to four Virginia School Districts to Replace 15 School Buses

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Awards $300,000 to four Virginia School Districts to Replace 15 School Buses

PHILADELPHIA (April 27, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $300,000 to four Virginia school districts to replace 15 older diesel school buses. These funds are among $10.5 million going to 137 school bus fleets in 40 states, each of which will receive rebates through EPA’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funding. The new buses will reduce pollutants that are linked to asthma and lung damage, better protecting health and air quality in communities across the country.

In Virginia, these funds are going to Amherst County Public Schools ($60,000 to replace three buses), Carroll County Public Schools ($140,000 to replace seven buses), Madison County Public Schools ($80,000 to replace four buses) and Salem City Public Schools ($20,000 to replace one bus).

“The rebates provide children with a safe and healthy way to get to school by upgrading older diesel engines in our nation’s school buses,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, EPA is equipping local school districts with cleaner-running buses, helping them along the route to healthier kids and communities.”

The 2020 Rebates are the first year in which EPA is offering additional funds for alt-fuel and electric bus replacements. This year, five fleets plan to replace 16 old diesel buses with electric buses.

Applicants scrapping and replacing diesel buses with engine model years 2006 and older will receive rebates between $20,000 and $65,000 per bus, depending on the fuel type of the replacement bus.

EPA has implemented standards to make newer diesel engines more than 90 percent 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, and other health effects or illnesses that can lead to missed days of work or school. 

Since 2008, the DERA program has funded more than 1,300 projects across the country, reducing diesel emissions in more than 70,000 engines. A comprehensive list of the 2020 DERA School Bus Rebate recipients can be found at www.epa.gov/dera/awarded-dera-rebates.

For more information about the DERA program, visit www.epa.gov/dera