EPA offers grants to replace, upgrade diesel school buses

摘要

School districts and transportation companies will split some $7 million from U.S. EPA to replace or refurbish about 375 older diesel-powered school buses, the agency announced today. Funded through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA), the program will provide rebates ranging from $15,000 to $25,000 to replace school buses with engines from model year 2006 or earlier, EPA said in a news release. The size of the rebate depends on the size of the bus. Recipients also have the option of retrofitting buses with engines from model years 1994 to 2006 with a diesel oxidation catalyst and closed crankcase ventilation system to cut pollution linked to asthma and other respiratory problems; in those cases, EPA will cover up to $3,000 of the cost per bus.