NEWS: Casar Announces Millions in Awards for Clean School Buses as Part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America Agenda

TEXAS – Today, Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas) released the following statement in response to Texas Congressional District 35 receiving millions of dollars through the EPA’s first Clean School Bus Program’s Grants Competition.

The awards, which are made possible through President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will help the selectees purchase clean school buses. By accelerating the transition to low- and zero-emission vehicles, these awards will improve air quality for children and their families and advance environmental justice, all while boosting the economy and creating good-paying jobs.  

• Austin Independent School District is receiving $6,250,000 to purchase 25 clean school buses.
• San Antonio Independent School District is receiving $5,925,000 to purchase 15 clean school buses. 
• Highland CSB 1, LLC, which serves Del Valle Independent School District and San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District, is receiving $31,150,000 to purchase 91 clean school buses across Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.

“I’m extremely proud that school districts across Texas Congressional District 35, including Austin ISD, Del Valle ISD, San Marcos CISD, and San Antonio ISD, will be receiving EPA’s Clean School Bus Awards,” said Congressman Greg Casar (TX-35). “Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma that can harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. This money from the Biden Administration will help our school districts purchase electric and clean school buses to better-serve students in the heart of Texas.”

“Today we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’ve sat next to students on their very first clean school bus ride and their excitement reflects the power of good policy. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, thousands more school buses will hit the road in school districts across the country, saving school districts money and improving air quality at the same time.”  

“This announcement reflects this Administration’s commitment to protecting children’s health and improving air quality. Replacing diesel buses with clean-burning alternatives will help improve the school day and reduce emissions that impact climate change,” said Region 6 EPA Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “This is especially good news for children in underserved areas who are often exposed to more air pollution and health risks such as asthma. Congratulations to our selectees for their partnership in protecting children and the environment.”
 

About the Clean School Bus Program

EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was created under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The Clean School Bus Program funds clean school buses, including electric buses, compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane buses that produce lower tailpipe emissions compared to their older diesel predecessors.

The Clean School Bus Program will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save money for school districts, and produce cleaner air. Air pollution from older diesel engines, which disproportionately impact communities of color and Tribal communities, is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Replacing these older diesel engines with zero- or low-emission buses will ensure cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day. 

The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from these bus replacements will also help to address the outsized role of the transportation sector in fueling the climate crisis. The Program will benefit school districts as they upgrade to cost saving and fuel-efficient school bus fleets, by replacing existing buses with brand new zero-emission and clean school buses and freeing up needed resources for schools.

Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or Tribal communities make up approximately 86% of the projects selected for funding. The program delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.

View the full list of Clean School Busgrantees here. 

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Congressman Greg Casar represents Texas’s 35th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which runs down I-35 from East Austin to Hays County to the West Side of San Antonio.  A labor organizer and son of Mexican immigrants, Casar serves as the Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for the 118th Congress. He also serves on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the Committee on Agriculture.