Cranston R.I. School System awarded $180,000 in EPA Rebates to Reduce School Bus Emissions
CRANSTON, R.I. – Cranston Public Schools was chosen to receive a total of $180,000 from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to replace nine older school buses, replacing older equipment with newer buses or engines that emit less diesel exhaust.
The Cranston Public School fleet in Rhode Island, along with three fleets in Maine, and a fleet in Connecticut were among the 145 fleets chosen nationwide to receive rebates through the EPA's Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) 2018 School Bus Rebate program, with $9.3 million in funding available to replace 473 older diesel school buses. New buses will reduce emissions of harmful pollutants like nitrous oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) which are linked to health effects including asthma and lung damage.
"These EPA funds to replace older bus engines with cleaner units will mean healthier rides for kids in Cranston who ride a school bus every day to get to their school," said Deb Szaro, Acting regional administrator of EPA's New England office. "Parents rely on school buses to safely bring their children to and from school, and we're proud to help ensure lower emissions and cleaner air for this community."
"The Cranston, R.I. School Department would like to express its appreciation to the EPA for its valued assistance. Due to the fact we own and operate our own school bus fleet, the awarded monies allow us to replace aging buses with new, more environmentally-friendly buses. Furthermore, this money provides us more flexibility to support our educational programs for our students," said Cranston Public Schools Superintendent, Jeannine Nota-Masse.
Under the program, diesel school buses that have an engine year of 2006 or older were replaced with new buses powered by 2017 or newer model-year engines, which can reduce pollutants by over 90 percent. Selectees of the School Bus Rebate Program are receiving a $15,000-$20,000 rebate per bus, dependent upon bus size. Rebates cover approximately 25 percent of the purchase price of the new bus.
More info on EPA's 2018 DERA school bus rebate program and recipients: https://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/clean-diesel-rebates