Several Northern Virginia school divisions have been awarded the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023 Clean School Bus Program reimbursement competition, which will bring 116 clean school buses to 18 school districts across the state.
The program will help Virginia accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles and replace older, diesel-powered school buses, which have been linked to asthma and other conditions that harm the health of students and surrounding communities, according to a report. press release from the Office of Environmental Protection. Agency.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan joined schoolchildren, district leaders and community members in Jackson, Mississippi, on Wednesday to make the announcement and highlight details of the program.
Virginia school divisions announced as recipients of the refund funds are as follows:
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Loudoun County Public Schools has been selected to receive $3,975,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase 25 clean school buses.
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Fredericksburg City Public Schools has been selected to receive $3,490,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase 10 clean school buses.
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Henrico County Public Schools has been selected to receive $3,450,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase 10 clean school buses.
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Westmoreland County Public Schools has been selected to receive $2,070,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase six clean school buses.
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Brunswick County Public Schools has been selected to receive $1,725,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase five clean school buses.
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Martinsville City Public Schools has been selected to receive $1,725,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase five clean school buses.
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Wise County Public Schools has been selected to receive $1,725,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase five clean school buses.
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Northampton County Public Schools has been selected to receive $1,380,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase four clean school buses.
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Manassas City Public Schools has been selected to receive $1,200,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase six clean school buses.
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Arlington County Public Schools has been selected to receive $1,020,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase five clean school buses.
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Culpeper County Public Schools has been selected to receive $800,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase four clean school buses.
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Lee County Public Schools has been selected to receive $690,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase two clean school buses.
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Harrisonburg City Public Schools has been selected to receive $600,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase three clean school buses.
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Virginia Beach City Public Schools has been selected to receive $450,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase 18 clean school buses.
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Charlottesville City Public Schools has been selected to receive $420,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase two clean school buses.
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Alexandria City Public Schools has been selected to receive $400,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase two clean school buses.
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Augusta County Public Schools has been selected to receive $400,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase two clean school buses.
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Falls Church City Public Schools has been selected to receive $400,000 in reimbursement funds to purchase two clean school buses.
Virginia U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7, sent out a news release applauding the funding.
“These new buses will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save schools money, and better protect student health. “Every Virginia child deserves to live in a healthy community and breathe clean air, and this investment will help us protect our environment and pass on a healthy planet to our children and grandchildren,” Spanberger said.
In September, the EPA announced the availability of at least $500 million for its 2023 clean school bus rebates. The rebate application period closed in February with a great response from school districts across the country looking to purchase electric school buses. and clean, according to the statement.
Given the demand, including in low-income communities, tribal nations, and U.S. territories, EPA doubled the amount of funding available to nearly $1 billion.
School divisions across the country — about 530 of them — were selected to receive nearly $900 million in funding.
This is the third round of funding that will build on the previous nearly $2 billion in funding from 2022 rebates and 2023 grants to further improve air quality in and around schools, reduce gas pollution greenhouse gases that fuel the climate crisis and help accelerate America’s leadership. in the development of clean vehicles.
“I’m thrilled to see these federal funds heading to Virginia to help provide students with safe, reliable transportation while combating climate change and reducing pollution,” U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said in a statement.
The Environmental Protection Agency is also partnering with the Joint Energy Office and the Department of Transportation to provide school districts with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation.
The agency continues to review selected applications and may make additional awards following this announcement. EPA is working with those applicants and will notify them of an award if their application meets all program requirements. As additional selections are finalized, EPA will update the CSB Awards webpage.
The Clean School Bus Program was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which provides $5 billion in funding to transform the nation’s school bus fleet. The program funds electric buses, which produce zero tailpipe emissions, as well as propane and compressed natural gas buses, which produce fewer tailpipe emissions compared to their older diesel predecessors.
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