U.S. E.P.A. declares availability of $7 million to replace or retrofit old school buses

SAN FRANCISCO - The E.P.A. is announcing the availability of approximately $7 million in backing for rebates to public and private school bus fleet owners for the replacement and retrofit of older school buses. This is the 3rd rebate plan offered under the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) to fund cleaner school buses.

Many of the nation's school buses are powered by diesel engines. E.P.A. requirements for new diesel engines make them in excess of 90% cleaner than older ones, but many older diesel engines remain in operation and predate these standards. Older diesel engines emit large quantities of pollutants such as particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). These pollutants are linked to aggravated asthma, lung damage, and other serious health problems.

New to this year's plan is the option of implementing retrofit technologies. Fleet owners can now install diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC) plus closed crankcase ventilation (CCV) systems to reduce emissions by up to 25%. They can also replace older buses with newer ones that meet the latest on-highway emission requirements as in previous E.P.A. rebate programs. E.P.A. will pay up to $3,000 for each DOC plus CCV, and between $15,000 and $25,000 per replacement bus, depending on the size. Applicants may request up to 10 buses for replacement and up to 10 buses for the retrofit option per application. Fleets with in excess of 101 buses currently in operation may submit 2 applications.

Public school bus fleets and those owned privately but contracted with a public school system are eligible to apply for rebates to replace school buses with engine model years of 2006 or older. They may also apply to install DOC plus CCV technology on school buses with engine model years 1994-2006. E.P.A. will accept applications from September 28 to October 30, 2015.

Since 2008, the Diesel Emission Reduction Act has provided backing for many emission reduction plans across the United States. The West Coast Collaborative States have received in excess of $115 million in DERA funding, and leveraged over $145 million from public and private partners. These plans have clean up over 7,900 engines, and reduced 400 tons/year of particular matter, 6,800 tons/year of NOx, and 400,000 tons/year Colorado_two. Reducing particulate matter emissions reduces black carbon, which influences climate by directly absorbing light, reducing the reflectivity ("albedo") of snow and ice through deposition, and interacting with clouds.

To learn more about the rebate program, applicant eligibility and selection process, and informational webinar dates, please visit http://www2.epa.gov/cleandiesel/clean-diesel-rebates#2015sb

To learn more about the West Coast Collaborative DERA school bus replacement projects, visit: http://www.westcoastcollaborative.org
Questions may be directed to [email protected]

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