replaced old buses with new. Szczypiorski said there are
specific grants offered for differ- ent fuel types. “Many districts go with the current EPA standards for emissions,” he noted. “Many of Blue
Bird’s buses go much farther than the standards in place. While this may not be a requirement for some grants, it is important to compare the EPA standard with the emissions certifications that the buses have.”
The VW mitigation plan is another
useful source of funding for school districts. In 2017, an agreement be- tween the federal government and Volkswagen created an Environ- mental Mitigation Trust. The trust is intended to lighten the impact on air quality by high-emitting diesel vehicles and engines. “Much of that money is targeted to school buses, which can help cover a significant portion of the cost and help districts procure a propane or electric bus that they couldn’t previously afford,” said Szczypior- ski. “Also, many utility companies around the nation are seeing the importance of electric buses in their territories. Some are subsidizing a portion of these buses to monitor how they interact with their grid.” Diesel fuel is also eligible under the VW grants. Grants provided by state, local,
and federal governments provide incentives for school bus fleet op- erators to choose fuels and engine drives that improve air quality effects from vehicles. They serve as a catalyst to push districts to choose cleaner-burning sustainable fuels that are more sustainable, better for the environment and sometimes less expensive long term. Building green school bus fleets
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still has a way to go. The short term often supersedes long-term goals. Social responsibility goals are sometimes buried in the mire of budgetary strain. Plus, some districts just do not have the support of their boards and citizens to turn to alter- native fuels. This will likely change as alterna-
tive fuel and sustainable technology improves, and all stakeholders rec- ognize the value and merit of such technologies. However, we should expect to see more electric vehicles, as districts discover rebate and grant programs and begin to replace their aged fleets with greener assets. ●
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