To promote clean transportation and improve air quality for children around the country, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is awarding rebates totaling $17 million to replace older diesel school buses.
According to an April 6 EPA news release, $7 million from the American Rescue Plan Electric School Bus Rebates will go toward underserved communities to replace old diesel buses with new, zero-emission electric models. The 2021 Diesel Emissions Reductions Act School Bus Rebates program will award $10 million to replace school buses across the country.
“These rebates protect children’s health by replacing older school buses with newer, cleaner ones," EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz said, according to the news release. "Transitioning to a clean transportation future means cleaner air and less pollution with a focus on our future – and our children.”
EPA is expected to announce a Clean School Bus rebate program to provide $5 billion over five years to replace school buses with low- or zero-emission buses.
“This round of school bus grants from the American Rescue Plan is just the beginning," EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in the release. "The unprecedented $5 billion investment that’s on the way for clean and zero-emission school buses from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will transform how millions of children get to school and help build a better America for a new generation.”
The rebates are part of the Biden administration's commitment and plan to promote programs that are helpful to the environment and promote the general health of the population, the release reported.
