News Releases from Headquarters›Air and Radiation (OAR)
EPA Rebates Will Fund Cleaner School Buses in 85 Communities
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the award of more than $7 million in rebates to replace or retrofit 400 older diesel school buses. The rebates are going to 85 school bus fleets in 35 states, each of which will receive rebates through EPA's Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funding. The new and retrofitted buses will reduce pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter that are linked to numerous health problems, including asthma and lung damage.
"Schools and other organizations that install clean diesel technology are doing more than just saving money --- they're creating cleaner, healthier air for children and all community residents," said Christopher Grundler, director of EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality. "This program continues to help thousands of children breathe easier and lead safer lives year after year."
This was EPA's third round of the rebate program aimed at replacing older diesel school buses. Applicants replacing buses with engine model years of 2006 and older will receive rebates between $15,000 and $25,000, depending on the size of the bus. This year, applicants also had the option of retrofitting school buses with engine model years between 1994 to 2006 with a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst plus Closed Crankcase Ventilation system (DOC plus CCV) to reduce toxic emissions. EPA will fully fund the cost of these devices up to $3,000.
EPA has implemented standards to make newer diesel engines more than 90 percent cleaner, but many older diesel school buses remain in operation and pre-date these standards. 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 problems. 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 vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution.
Since 2008, the DERA program has funded more than 650 clean diesel projects across the country, reducing emissions in more than 60,000 engines. The 2015 DERA school bus rebate recipients are:
State | City | Selectee | Funding | Buses |
AR | Ozark | Ozark Public Schools | $40,000 | 2 |
AZ | Yuma | Crane Elementary School District 13 | $75,000 | 3 |
CA | El Cajon | Cajon Valley Union School District | $200,000 | 10 |
CA | Visalia | Riddington Holdings, Inc. | $75,000 | 3 |
CT | Bethnay | B and B Transportation | $60,000 | 3 |
CT | Canton | Martel Transportation LLC | $40,000 | 2 |
CT | Killingly | Killingly Public Schools | $70,000 | 3 |
CT | Oakdale | Montville Public Schools | $55,000 | 3 |
CT | Waterbury | All Star Transportation LLC | $140,000 | 7 |
CT | New Britain | Dattco Inc | $200,000 | 10 |
FL | Deland | Volusia County Schools | $225,000 | 10 |
GA | Thomson | McDuffie County Schools | $85,000 | 4 |
IA | Manning | IKM-Manning CSD | $40,000 | 2 |
IA | Sioux City | Sioux City Community School District | $20,000 | 1 |
ID | Shelley | Shelley School District #60 | $20,000 | 1 |
IL | Vienna | Vienna High School 13-3 | $80,000 | 4 |
IL | Bushnell | Bushnell-Prairie City CUSD #170 | $25,000 | 1 |
IN | Eminence | Eminence Community School Corporation | $20,000 | 1 |
IN | Plymouth | Plymouth Community School Corporation | $60,000 | 3 |
KS | Kansas City | Unified School District No. 202 Wyandotte, KS (Turner) | $80,000 | 4 |
KS | Buffalo | USD 387 Altoona-Midway | $20,000 | 1 |
KS | Maize | USD 266 Maize | $120,000 | 6 |
LA | New Orleans | ARISE Schools | $30,000 | 10 |
LA | Monroe | Ouachita Parish School Board | $200,000 | 10 |
LA | Ruston | Lincoln Parish School Board | $100,000 | 5 |
LA | Lake Charles | Calcasieu Parish School Board | $200,000 | 10 |
LA | Alexandria | Rapides Parish School Board | $200,000 | 10 |
MA | Dartmouth | Town of Dartmouth / Dartmouth Public Schools | $20,000 | 1 |
MA | Wareham | Town of Wareham | $230,000 | 9 |
MA | Swansea | Swansea Public Schools | $80,000 | 4 |
ME | Gray | MSAD 15 Gray New Gloucester | $60,000 | 1 |
ME | Fairfield | MSAD #49 | $80,000 | 4 |
MI | Fairview | Fairview Area Schools | $20,000 | 1 |
MI | Hopkins | Hopkins Public Schools | $100,000 | 5 |
MN | Mankato | Yaeger Bus Service, Inc. | $40,000 | 2 |
MN | Reading | Buds Bus Service Inc. | $40,000 | 2 |
MN | Bock | Sue's Bus Service, Inc. | $40,000 | 2 |
MN | Willmar | Hey Inc dba Willmar Bus Service | $80,000 | 4 |
MO | Bethany | South Harrison R-II School District | $40,000 | 2 |
MO | Holcomb | Holcomb R-III School District | $20,000 | 1 |
MO | Winston | Winston R-VI School District | $20,000 | 1 |
MO | Creighton | Sherwood Cass R-8 School District | $20,000 | 1 |
MO | Blue Springs | Blue Springs RIV School District | $140,000 | 8 |
MS | Kiln | Hancock County School District | $200,000 | 10 |
MT | Box Elder | Chippewa Cree Tribe with Rock Boy Schools as Delegate Agency | $20,000 | 1 |
NC | Winston-Salem | Winston-Salem / Forsyth County Schools | $200,000 | 10 |
ND | Larimore | Larimore Public School #44 | $20,000 | 1 |
ND | Beach | Beach Public School District #3 | $15,000 | 1 |
NE | Ord | Ord Public Schools | $30,000 | 2 |
NE | Auburn | Auburn Public Schools | $60,000 | 3 |
NJ | Southampton | Garden State Transport, Inc. | $165,000 | 10 |
NJ | Wall | Wall Board of Education | $100,000 | 5 |
NJ | Thorofare | H.A. DeHart Transportation Co. | $100,000 | 5 |
NJ | Southampton | Garden State Transport, Inc. | $200,000 | 10 |
NJ | Secaucus | Secaucus Board Education | $160,000 | 9 |
NJ | Vineland | Vineland Public Schools | $60,000 | 3 |
NY | Bayville | Hendrickson Bus Corporation | $175,000 | 10 |
NY | Copiague | Educational Bus Transportation Inc | $200,000 | 10 |
NY | Selden | Middle Country Central School District | $80,000 | 4 |
NY | Chappaqua | Chappaqua Transportation Inc. | $100,000 | 5 |
NY | Philmont | Michael S. Johnson | $20,000 | 1 |
NY | Hicksville | Jaco Transportation Inc | $180,000 | 9 |
NY | Huntington Station | Huntington Coach Corporation | $100,000 | 7 |
OH | Mantua | Crestwood Local Schools | $40,000 | 2 |
OH | Magnolia | Sandy Valley Local School District | $80,000 | 4 |
OK | Omulgee | Green Country Technology Center | $20,000 | 1 |
OK | Mounds | Mounds Public Schools | $75,000 | 4 |
OK | Wyandotte | Turkey Ford School | $20,000 | 1 |
OR | The Dalles | North Wasco County School Dist. #21 | $20,000 | 1 |
PA | Jermyn | Stafursky Transportation, Inc. | $40,000 | 2 |
PR | Corozal | Transporte Sonnell Incorporated | $200,000 | 10 |
SC | Columbia | Spartanburg 5 County School District (SCDE) | $40,000 | 2 |
SC | Columbia | Newberry County School District (SCDE) | $100,000 | 5 |
SC | Columbia | Williamsburg County School District (SCDE) | $20,000 | 1 |
SC | Columbia | Laurens 55 County School District (SCDE) | $100,000 | 5 |
SD | Castlewood | Castlewood School District 28-1 | $20,000 | 1 |
SD | Brookings | Brookings School District #5-1 | $35,000 | 2 |
TX | Houston | Houston Independent School District | $200,000 | 10 |
TX | Rockwall | Rockwall Independent School District FIRST APPLICATION | $120,000 | 6 |
UT | West Jordan | Jordan School District | $250,000 | 10 |
UT | Sandy | Canyons School District | $100,000 | 5 |
UT | Moab | Grand County School District | $40,000 | 2 |
VT | Arlington | Arlington School District | $20,000 | 1 |
WA | Moses Lake | Moses Lake School District | $75,000 | 3 |
WI | Burlington | Thomas Bus Service, Inc. | $80,000 | 4 |
WI | Bloomington | Warco, Inc. | $20,000 | 1 |
For more information about this rebate program, visit http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/clean-diesel-rebates.