Woodland Public Schools is one of a number of Washington school districts to benefit from a grant to replace diesel-powered vehicles with “clean vehicle infrastructure.”
On Tuesday, Dec. 17, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced $8,396,706 in grants for zero-emission school buses in Washington state. The funding, provided by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant program — established through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) — aims to replace diesel-powered vehicles with zero-emission alternatives and support the development of clean vehicle infrastructure.
The following organizations in Washington state received funding:
Woodland Public Schools was awarded $4,249,000 to replace 14 diesel school buses with zero-emission vehicles. The district, which serves multiple neighborhoods with poor air quality, will benefit from cleaner air and reduced emissions, improving environmental conditions and health outcomes for the community, according to a news release. In September, Cantwell supported Woodland Public Schools’ application to the EPA.
The Washington State Department of Ecology secured $3,887,706 to replace 13 diesel school buses across four other school districts: Olympia school district will receive five buses; Central Kitsap School District, four; Bellevue School District, one; and Durham School Services, three buses for the Everett School District. These districts are highly exposed to diesel pollution, and the new electric buses will reduce harmful emissions and improve air quality in affected communities, according to the news release.
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation received $260,000 to replace a diesel refuse hauler with a zero-emission school bus. The new bus will help lower emissions and enhance environmental quality across the reservation.