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Cleaner School Buses Mean Healthier Kids

Release Date: 02/20/2006
Contact Information: Roxanne Smith, (202) 564-4355 / [email protected]

(Tucson, Ariz.-Feb. 20, 2006) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will provide local communities around the country with more than $7 million in grants to reduce kids' exposure to harmful exhaust from their school buses. The grants will help fund the cleanup of more than 500 tons of diesel emissions from 4000 school buses nationwide.

"Today's clean school bus grants mean that the only thing pouring out of school buses will be students – not diesel emissions," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "President Bush and EPA are committed to making that black puff of diesel smoke from school buses something you only read about in history books."

EPA awarded 37 grants totaling $7.5 million as part of the Clean School Bus USA program, which reduces children's exposure to diesel exhaust. The initiative encourages policies and practices to eliminate unnecessary school bus idling, the installation of effective emission control systems on newer buses and the replacement of the oldest buses with cleaner diesel or compressed natural gas powered buses. The grant recipients are contributing an additional $13 million in matching funds and in-kind services.

Johnson made the announcement in Arizona accompanied by local officials of the Tucson Unified School District. Tucson is matching its $500,000 EPA grant with $6.5 million it raised towards the purchase of more than 60 new compressed natural gas buses. The effort will improve the air quality for 67,000 students and school employees. The school district operates 308 buses that ferry 16,000 children to and from school, traveling 4.7 million miles annually.

More information about the list of grantees: epa.gov/cleanschoolbus/funding.htm

More information about Clean School Bus USA: epa.gov/cleanschoolbus


Clean School Bus USA 2005 Projects
(In alphabetical order by state)

Arizona
Tucson Unified School District

California
Napa Valley Unified School District
Sweetwater Union High School District
Visalia Unified School District
Windsor Unified School District

Colorado
Cherry Creek Schools
Huerfano School District

Connecticut
Regional School District No. 18
Town of Fairfield School District

Florida
School Board of Pinellas County

Georgia
Bibb County Board of Education

Idaho
Basin School District

Kentucky
Campbell County School District

Louisiana
St. Charles Parish Public Schools

Maine
Maine School Administrative District No. 57

Michigan
Okemos Public Schools
Traverse City Area Public Schools

Missouri
Kansas City School District No. 33

Nebraska
Omaha Public Schools

New York
Greece Central School District
Sachem School District
Ulster Board of Cooperative Education Services

Ohio
Bexley City School District
Cleveland Municipal School District
Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation

Oklahoma
Crutcho Public Schools

Oregon
Eugene School District

Pennsylvania
Chester County Intermediate Unit
Great Valley School District

South Carolina
South Carolina Department of Education

Texas
Pasadena Independent School District
Pearland Independent School District

Utah
Jordan School District

Vermont
Windham Northeast Supervisory Union

Virginia
Richmond School District

Washington
Peninsula School District

Wisconsin
Madison Metropolitan School District