School districts in Adams County, Boulder County, Otero County and Weld County will receive $540,000 in rebates to help cover the cost of replacing 27 old diesel school buses with newer, low-emission buses, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced.
The funding comes from the EPA's Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program, which will provide $10 million to schools across the nation to replace 444 school buses.
“These clean buses will deliver healthier rides for hundreds of Colorado school children and reduce pollution in Front Range communities addressing ozone and other air quality challenges,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “The projects we are announcing today are just the beginning of a historic $5 billion investment on the way for clean and zero-emission school buses across the nation from the Biden Administration and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”
According to the EPA, the $540,000 will be distributed as follows:
- Adams 12 Five Star Schools: $200,000 to replace 10 buses
- Boulder Valley School District: $120,000 to replace 6 buses
- Cheraw School District 31: $20,000 to replace 1 bus
- Weld County School District 6: $200,000 to replace 10 buses
The EPA is expected to announce a new Clean School Bus rebate program in the coming weeks. The program will provide $5 billion over five years to replace existing school buses with low- or zero-emission school buses, according to the agency.
