FILE: A Lion electric school bus is seen on display in Austin, Texas, Feb. 22, 2023. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021 included $5 billion for cleaner school buses.
Eric Gay / AP
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is giving Oregon and Washington school districts more than $51 million to buy new electric school buses.
The Beaverton School District will purchase 50 buses, the Walla Walla School District will buy 15, and private organizations like First Student Inc. and the RWC Group plan to get a combined 79 buses.
“Children are most at risk for respiratory illnesses caused by diesel particulates so helping electrify school bus fleets is an investment in our kids’ health and their future,” EPA Region 10 administrator Casey Sixkiller said in a statement. “Any action we can take to reduce the incidence of asthma and other health issues children experience is the right thing to do.”
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek issued a similar message about the merits of the electrified buses.
“The grants will improve air quality to protect the health of our students and aid in our efforts to combat climate change in Oregon,” she said in a statement.
The $5 billion Clean School Bus program was part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in 2021. School districts are invited to apply for the ongoing program.
Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions, causing youth to miss school, particularly in communities of color and among tribal members.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said the buses are critical for both children and schools.
“Not only do we see fewer asthma attacks because of electric buses, we also see calmer, happier kids because they no longer have to shout to hear each other over noisy diesel engines,” he said in a statement.
The EPA said the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the new buses will help to address the outsized role of transportation in the climate crisis.
Some Republican politicians have spoken out against the idea, saying electric buses are more expensive. Supporters say that’s true, but they’re cheaper to run over time.