Nearly $30 million of federal clean air grants are available this month, and state and federal agencies that oversee the dissemination of these funds are urging school districts to sharpen their pencils and prepare to compete for the coveted windfalls with the private industry and other sectors of public transportation.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funds a number of programs that make money available for school districts to retrofit older buses with emissions control equipment and purchase new buses already equipped with upgrades. The most popular programs are the Diesel Emissions Reduction Program (DERA) and the now expired American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). It’s a latter day gold rush that’s not for the faint of heart, but federal officials say school districts have held their own in the past and have put the money to good use.
“The school transportation community has been a great partner for EPA’s diesel emissions reduction program,” said Jim Blubaugh, deputy director of the EPA’s Transportation and Climate Division. “School bus fleets across the country, both public and private, have retrofitted and replaced older diesel buses, providing a healthier ride for thousands of school children daily. We look forward to more collaboration in the future.”
Blubaugh told the NASDPTS two years ago that school bus leads the way of all eligible transportation modes in winning DERA grants.
For 2012, the EPA appropriated $29.952 million for the DERA Program. By statute, the money is divided into two parts, with 30 percent going to state programs. That money is redistributed according to funding programs within those states. School districts are advised to approach their state agencies about the availability of those monies.
The larger pot of money, or about $20 million this year, will be distributed on a competitive first-come, first-served basis. None of this money is earmarked for education, so school districts must compete with the field. The grants are for two years. Grant applications will be evaluated over the summer and awarded in the fall, and the final grant amounts are controlled by region.
Applicants may cite a number of projects to fund including idling reduction, retrofits and bus replacements. EPA officials advise interested school districts to visit www.grants.gov or to monitor www.epa.gov/diesel/grantfund.htm, where visitors to may sign up to receive email alerts for webinar dates. The EPA also conducts free webinars on grant requests.
State programs are numerous and varied. Some monies are awarded to non-profit associations, which then redistribute the money through partnership programs. Texas, for example, disseminates DERA grants through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the state’s environmental agency that monitors compliance with rules concerning clean air, clean water and the safe management of waste. The TCEQ Clean School Bus Program assists districts with retrofitting older diesel-fuel buses.
The Northeast Independent School District in San Antonio benefited from ARRA funds funneled through the TCEQ. Northeast Executive Director of Transportation Nolan Anderson says the district has received $283,240 over the past two years to retrofit 168 of the district’s diesel-powered buses. He said the process is continuing and commended the TCEQ on getting the word out to districts concerning the availability of grant money.
“We will definitely resubmit another package this year to see if we can cover retrofitting more buses,” Anderson says. “The TCEQ sends out notices through hard copy and email from various organizations.”
TCEQ Spokeswoman Andrea Morrow says The TCEQ Clean School Bus Program has received DERA and ARRA funding as well as money from the state. The money is allocated to school districts through a streamlined grant application process. She said the TCEQ is constantly communicating with school districts on where they can find grant information.
“The TCEQ posted a grant application notice on the Texas Comptroller or Public Accounts Electronic Business Daily website and the Texas Clean School Bus website,” Morrow adds. “Outreach efforts to school districts have included emails, news releases, letters to all ISD superintendents, direct calls and presentations at regional school transportation meetings.”
Reprinted from the April 2012 edition of School Transportation News. All rights reserved.
