Background
The goal of the Lower-Emission School Bus Program is to reduce school children"s exposure to cancer-causing and smog-forming pollution from public school buses throughout the state of California. Lower-Emission School Bus funds are available to replace older school buses and reduce tailpipe emissions.
The incentive program is currently sponsored by a $200 million state bond measure passed by voters in 2006.
The program partners the Air Resources Board (ARB) and the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (AQMD) to replace pre-1987 engine model year school buses with new, cleaner emission school buses and retrofit in-use diesel school buses.
The AQMD is partnering with the Butte County Air Quality Management District, the El Dorado County Air Quality Management District, the Glenn County Air Pollution Control District, and the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District to implement the Lower-Emission School Bus Program.
Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA)-Funded Lower-Emission School Bus Retrofit Program
The ARB received an allocation of $1.73 million from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to use the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding for State Clean Diesel Grant Program (2009 State DERA grant) to make a more robust effort at addressing the need for retrofits on California’s school buses. As stimulus funds, the 2009 State DERA grant carries specific priorities for commencing the activities and expenditures as quickly as possible and to preserve and/or create jobs.
For more information see the table of information on the 2009 DERA-Funded Lower-Emission School Bus Retrofit Program Air and School Districts (PDF).
Air District Contacts
Joanne Chan
(916) 874-6267
Jchan@airquality.org
Freya Arick
(916) 874-4891
Farick@airquality.org
