The U.S. EPA and the state of Utah each received an inaugural award recognizing advancements in reduced emissions for school buses during the final day of annual meetings between school-bus industry representatives and federal legislators and agency officials.
The annual Spring “Bus-In” organized by NSTA began Tuesday and concluded this afternoon. It was comprised of meetings with congressional members and federal agencies. NSTA said this year’s event marked the 10th anniversary of the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, which has since been rolled under the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) program.
The American School Bus Council, which consists of NSTA as well as NAPT, NASDPTS, Blue Bird, IC Bus and Thomas Built Buses, presented the trophies — bronze-colored, hand-cast metal school buses mounted on a walnute base — in the Capitol Vistor’s Center to to Chris Grundler, director of EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality, and to Murrell Martin, state director of transportation at the Utah State Office of Education. ASBC said that the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, while now expanded under DERA to retrofit, replace and repower older diesel-engine commercial vehicles, is the only federal program to provide “even modest funding” for the nation’s fleet of school buses.
Earlier this year, the EPA launched a clean school bus rebate program using $2 million in DERA funding that went to 30 school districts nationwide. ASBC said EPA has indicated that it could have awarded $70 million in rebates based upon the number of applications received.
“In the first year of this program, I predicted that it would be a huge success – mostly because of the dedication of the school bus industry and their commitment to providing superior resources for the communities they serve around the country,” said Grundler.
The state of Utah, ASBC added, is perhaps the best example of the effectiveness of the Clean School Bus Program. Utah has used more than $6 million in EPA grant and state matching funds to retrofit more than 1,200 buses across the state.
“At first, this program was somewhat of a tough sell,” said Martin, who is also a co-chair for the 2013 STN EXPO this July in Reno, Nev. “But as the program got moving everyone from transportation directors to drivers and the mechanics who service Utah’s buses saw almost immediate benefits. In leveraging the EPA funding, we were able to make significant improvements across our state-wide fleet.”
Representatives Utah Sens. Orrin Hatch’s and Mike Lee’s offices were also on hand to recognize the state’s accomplishments and to thank Martin for his service.
Building off of ASBC’s School Bus Champion program complete with matching yellow shirts and a pledge by participants to advocate for school-bus transportation in local communities, the award recognizes an individual or group for “exceptional support for and advancement of” the industry. Awardees will display “demonstrable positive outcomes” through the leadership they provided in their local areas as well as nationwide, ASBC added. Future School Bus Champion awards will be presented at industry events around the country. The next one will be at this July’s Southeastern States Pupil Transportation Conference in Mobile, Ala.
Meanwhile, NSTA’s quarterly committee meetings kicked off earlier in the week with a group dinner and keynote speaker Keith Smith, a tax policy expert from the association’s D.C.-based lobbying consultant Prime Policy Group. Smith spoke on comprehensive tax reforms and how that could affect private school-bus companies. On Wednesday, NSTA members attended more than 190 meetings with congressional members on Capitol Hill.
“We are excited to welcome members to Washington, D.C., for a successful and productive week benefiting NSTA and the school bus industry,” said Magda Dimmendaal, NSTA President, before the event began.
She was joined at the Bus-In by NSTA President-Elect Tim Flood, Government Relations Chairman John Corr and Association and Industry Development Chairman Rob Nelson.
