Congressman Visclosky announced today that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected the Hanover Community School Corporation and the Tri-Creek School Corporation to receive awards to clean up their school buses.
Specifically, the school corporations will receive rebates through the EPA’s Clean Diesel Rebate program. This program awards rebates up to $20,000 for school corporations to replace buses with engine models from years from 2006 or older. According to the EPA, older diesel school bus engines emit large amounts of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which are linked to instances of aggravated asthma, lung damage, and other serious health problems.
Congressman Pete Visclosky stated, “I congratulate the Hanover and the Tri-Creek School Corporations for successfully seeking out and obtaining this opportunity for federal assistance. Because of your good work, the health of our students and our people, and the quality of our environment, will be tangibly improved.”
Hanover Community School Corporation Superintendent Mr. Tom Taylor stated, “This grant was an opportunity for our corporation to help improve the health and safety of our students and community. The rebate we will receive will also greatly help offset the cost of the purchase of a new bus. We not only saw this as a positive financial opportunity, but a responsibility for the corporation to help improve the quality of our environment. We would like to thank the office of Congressman Visclosky for their support in this endeavor.”
Tri-Creek School Corporation Superintendent Dr. Debra Howe, PhD, stated, “Tri-Creek School Corporation’s energy committee has invested time researching avenues to positively impact education, the environment, and economics. We are pleased to be part of the EPA’s Clean Diesel Rebate program. We will be replacing our buses and contributing to the health of our students and community.”
For additional information on the EPA Clean Diesel Rebate program, click here.