Van Hollen, Cardin Join Biden-Harris Administration in Announcing More Than $4.5 million in Awards for Clean School Buses In Maryland as Part of Investing in America Agenda
As part of the ongoing commitment to protecting children and improving air quality, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in announcing the selection of Montgomery Public Schools to receive nearly $4.7 million to purchase 50 school buses through EPA’s first Clean School Bus Program’s Grants Competition. By accelerating the transition to low- and zero-emission vehicles, these awards will improve air quality for children and their families and advance environmental justice, all while boosting the economy and creating good-paying jobs.
“Transitioning from diesel to electric school buses makes good public health and economic sense, offering real benefits like improved air quality in our communities and significant savings for local taxpayers. That’s why our Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes historic investments to modernize public transportation across the country – and these funds will bolster Montgomery County’s ongoing efforts to provide students with a cleaner, greener, and safer trip to and from school. Projects like these are how we beat back the climate crisis and build a more sustainable future for the generations to come,” said U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen.
“Taking the bus to school should not be a health hazard for our children. Our students deserve clean, quiet transportation without having to suffer the consequences of dirty, school bus exhaust.,” said U.S. Senator Ben Cardin. “Congress approved the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to deliver critical funding to transition our nation’s school bus fleet away from gas-guzzling, air-polluting vehicles. This is a promising step forward and I’m excited to see these new busses in Montgomery County and across the region. I know our students will be, too.”
“Today we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’ve sat next to students on their very first clean school bus ride and their excitement reflects the power of good policy. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, thousands more school buses will hit the road in school districts across the country, saving school districts money and improving air quality at the same time.”
"These grants are further proof of EPA's commitment to protect children, improve air quality, and contribute directly to communities," said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. "These once-in-a-generation infrastructure investments will have lasting impacts."
The Clean School Bus Program is having far-reaching effects across school districts and their surrounding communities. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionately affect communities of color and Tribal communities, ensures cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day.
After an extensive review process, the EPA Clean School Bus Program has selected the Notice of Funding Opportunity’s top tier Maryland applicants to receive this historic investment in their community.
EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus program created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes both a grant program where selected applicants are awarded funds to purchase buses and a rebate program that allows selectees to receive awards before purchasing eligible buses that replaces existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. These Clean School Bus grants are the second round of selections announced for the newly created program. EPA will make more funds available for clean school buses in additional rounds of funding.
About the Clean School Bus Program
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was created under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The Clean School Bus Program funds clean school buses, including electric buses, compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane buses that produce lower tailpipe emissions compared to their older diesel predecessors.
The Clean School Bus Program will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save money for school districts, and produce cleaner air. Air pollution from older diesel engines, which disproportionately impact communities of color and Tribal communities, is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Replacing these older diesel engines with zero- or low-emission buses will ensure cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day.
The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from these bus replacements will also help to address the outsized role of the transportation sector in fueling the climate crisis. The Program will benefit school districts as they upgrade to cost saving and fuel-efficient school bus fleets, by replacing existing buses with brand new zero-emission and clean school buses and freeing up needed resources for schools.
In April 2023, EPA announced the availability of at least $400 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus Grants through a Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant application period closed in August 2023 with an outstanding response from applicants seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses. Given the overwhelming demand and large number of high-scoring applications, including applicants in low-income communities, Tribal nations, and territories, EPA has nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded nationally to approximately $965 million. These awards follow over $875 million obligated to new buses from the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 Rebates, which funded the replacement of 2,366 buses at 372 school districts to further improve air quality in and around schools, advance environmental justice, reduce greenhouse gas pollution fueling the climate crisis, and accelerate America’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.
Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or Tribal communities make up approximately 86% of the projects selected for funding. The program delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.