Three grants totaling $8.4 million were awarded to WA school districts in Woodland, Olympia, Central Kitsap, Bellevue, Everett, and the Colville Reservation for 28 zero-emission school buses; The grants were awarded through a program established in the Cantwell-championed Inflation Reduction Act
WASHINGTON. D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced three grants totaling $8,396,706 for zero-emission school buses in Washington state.
The funding for these grants was provided by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant program, which was established by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The grant program aims to replace existing internal combustion engine heavy-duty vehicles with zero-emission vehicles, while also supporting the construction of clean vehicle infrastructure.
The following organizations in Washington state received funding:
Woodland Public Schools is receiving $4,249,000 to replace 14 diesel school buses with zero-emission buses. The district contains multiple Justice 40 neighborhoods where air quality is exceptionally poor. These new buses will support the district’s goal of reducing nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and greenhouse gases, ultimately improving health outcomes and environmental conditions for the community. In September, Sen. Cantwell wrote a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan in support of Woodland Public Schools’ application to the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant program.
The Washington State Department of Ecology received $3,887,706 to replace 13 diesel school buses across 4 four different school districts: Olympia SD will receive 5 buses, Central Kitsap SD will receive 4 buses, Bellevue SD will receive 1 bus, and Durham School Services will receive 3 buses serving Everett SD. These school districts have high exposure to diesel pollution, and the new buses will help improve air quality in communities highly impacted by air pollution.
The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation received $260,000 to replace a Class 6 diesel refuse hauler with a zero-emission school bus. Located within a Justice 40 neighborhood, the new bus will help lower emissions and improve environmental quality across the reservation.
According to the EPA, exhaust from diesel-powered buses not only contributes to air quality problems, but has negative health impacts, particularly for children, whose lungs are not yet fully developed and who have a faster breathing rate than adults. Switching to electric buses from diesel buses not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions, but results in cleaner air on the bus for kids and drivers, in bus loading areas, and in communities where buses are driven, and lowers maintenance costs for school districts.
Sen. Cantwell played a pivotal role in shaping legislation within the IRA, introducing a 30% tax incentive for new electric buses and trucks. Her FAST Electricity Act is projected by the Joint Committee on Taxation to invest $5.2 billion over the next decade, fostering the growth of the electric vehicle market and encouraging the adoption of electric-powered transportation. Dating back to 2008, Sen. Cantwell co-authored the $7,500 tax incentive for electric passenger vehicles—a credit widely recognized as a key catalyst for the expansion of the electric car and truck market.