News Releases from Region 05
EPA AND OHIO EPA JOIN DAYTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO ANNOUNCE $330,375 FOR NEW CLEANER SCHOOL BUSES
(DAYTON, OHIO – October 28, 2019) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Ohio EPA today joined Dayton Public Schools to announce $330,375 from the state and federal government for new school buses that will reduce diesel emissions and protect children’s health.
“EPA is proud to partner with Ohio EPA and Dayton Public Schools to provide funding for cleaner school buses that will help to protect children from the harmful effects of diesel pollution,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Cathy Stepp. “Protecting children’s health is one of EPA’s most important responsibilities, so it’s exciting to be celebrating this project in Dayton that will help so many students breathe easier.”
“This grant helps to ensure that more children and everyone in the Dayton area will have better, healthier air to breathe and enjoy,” Ohio EPA Director Laurie A. Stevenson said.
"The Dayton Public School District is thankful for this partnership because of the health benefits it will bring to our students and to the entire Dayton community," said Dayton Public Schools Superintendent Elizabeth Lolli.
Funding from Ohio EPA and U.S. EPA will provide $330,375 for 25% of the cost to replace 15 old diesel school buses (model year 2002-2004) with 15 new, cleaner diesel buses. Funding is coming from a combination of $55,050 in a U.S. EPA Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) grant to Ohio EPA, and $275,325 as Ohio’s match from the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund settlement. The school district will pay $991,125 for its 75% share of the cost of the new buses.
This project in Dayton will reduce annual emissions by almost three tons every year, reducing exposure to nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and carbon monoxide. Children are more susceptible to air pollution than healthy adults because their respiratory systems are still developing and they have faster breathing rates. Asthma, which affects 6.3 million American school children, is the most common long-term childhood disease in America, making newer, cleaner buses an urgent priority. October is Children’s Health Month, which helps to highlight that environmental contaminants can affect children differently than adults, both because children may be more highly exposed to contaminants and because they are often more vulnerable to the effects of contaminants. Reduced emissions from the newer, cleaner buses in Dayton will also benefit the entire community.
For more information about clean diesel and DERA funding: https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/cleandiesel
For more information about children’s health: https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/children