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AUGUSTA — Maine School Administrative Districts 61 (Lake Region) and 49 (Fairfield) were among three that were chosen to receive a total of $100,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to replace five older school buses, replacing older equipment with newer buses or engines that emit less diesel exhaust.
The Lake Region District, which comprises Casco, Naples and Bridgton, and MSAD 49, which combrises Albion, Benton, Clinton and Fairfield, were each awarded $40,000 to replace two school buses. Bonny Eagle School Administrative Distrct 6m based in Buxton, was awarded $20,000 to replace one older diesel school bus.
“These EPA funds to replace older bus engines with cleaner units will mean healthier rides for kids in Maine who ride a school bus every day to get to their school,” said Deb Szaro, acting regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “Parents rely on school buses to safely bring their children to and from school, and we’re proud to help ensure lower emissions and cleaner air for this community.”
“The ‘Clean Diesel Rebate’ program offers rebates in addition to grants to reduce harmful emissions from older, dirtier diesel vehicles. This program aids municipalities and school districts to arrange for improvements to school buses making them more energy efficient, improve air quality and limit harmful exposure to our children,” said Jerry Reid, Maine DEP Commissioner.
The three school bus fleets in Maine, along with a fleet in Rhode Island and another in Connecticut, were among the 145 fleets chosen nationwide to receive rebates through the EPA’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act 2018 School Bus Rebate program, which is making $9.3 million in funding available to replace 473 older diesel school buses. New buses will reduce emissions of harmful pollutants like nitrous oxides and particulate matter which are linked to health effects including asthma and lung damage.
Under the program, diesel school buses that have an engine year of 2006 or older were replaced with new buses powered by 2017 or newer model-year engines, which can reduce pollutants by over 90 percent. Selectees of the School Bus Rebate Program are receiving a $15,000-$20,000 rebate per bus, dependent upon bus size. Rebates cover approximately 25 percent of the purchase price of the new bus.
