EPA awards $540,000 to Colorado schools for clean buses that reduce diesel emissions and protect children’s health

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA awards $540,000 to Colorado schools for clean buses that reduce diesel emissions and protect children’s health

Rebates to reduce emissions from buses in Adams, Boulder and Weld Counties, all in non-attainment area for Clean Air Act ozone standards

Contact: Richard Mylott, mylott.richard@epa.gov

DENVER (March 7, 2022) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Colorado school districts in Adams County, Boulder County, Otero County, and Weld County will receive $540,000 in rebates to support the replacement of 27 old diesel school buses with newer, low-emission buses.  The Colorado recipients are among $10 million provided to schools across the nation to reduce pollution from 444 school buses to protect children’s health and improve regional air quality through the agency’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program.

These DERA rebates will help fund 27 clean school buses in Colorado and reduce emissions of particulates, nitrogen oxides, other harmful pollutants, including in communities in areas which are currently not attaining Clean Air Act ozone standards. Recipients will use the funds to replace old diesel school buses in their fleets with new electric, diesel, gasoline, propane, or compressed natural gas school buses meeting current emission standards.

“These clean buses will deliver healthier rides for hundreds of Colorado school children and reduce pollution in Front Range communities addressing ozone and other air quality challenges,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “The projects we are announcing today are just the beginning of a historic $5 billion investment on the way for clean and zero-emission school buses across the nation from the Biden Administration and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”

Colorado winners include:

• Adams 12 Five Star Schools: $200,000 to replace 10 buses
• Boulder Valley School District: $120,000 to replace 6 buses
• Cheraw School District 31: $20,000 to replace 1 bus
• Weld County School District 6: $200,000 to replace 10 buses

In addition to the rebates announced today, in the coming weeks, EPA plans to announce a new Clean School Bus rebate program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an unprecedented $5 billion over five years, to replace existing school buses with low- or zero-emission school buses. Replacing these buses will improve air quality in and around schools and communities, reduce greenhouse gas pollution, and better protect children’s health overall. Since 2012, EPA’s school bus rebates have awarded, or are in the process of awarding, over $73 million to replace more than 3,000 old diesel school buses.

This program will also prioritize projects that help achieve the goals of President Biden’s Justice40 initiative, which aims to ensure that federal agencies deliver at least 40 percent of benefits from certain investments to underserved communities.

EPA may prioritize applications that replace school buses in high need local educational agencies, low-income and rural areas, Tribal schools, and applications that provide cost share. To learn more about the upcoming Clean School Bus Program, please visit http://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus.

To learn more about the rebate programs, applicant eligibility, and selection process, visit https://www.epa.gov/dera/rebates.