$3.2 Million In Grants For Low Emission School Buses

ADEQ Steve Owens has announced that 11 school districts in the Phoenix & Tucson metro areas have been awarded 15 grants totaling $3,177,000 under ADEQ's Diesel School Bus Grant Program to reduce children's exposure to harmful diesel emissions. The new ADEQ program reduces children's exposure to toxic diesel emissions by partnering with local school districts to obtain less-polluting school buses & other pollution control equipment.

School districts eligible for the grants must be located within either the metro Phoenix or metro Tucson areas & participate in ADEQ's voluntary School Bus Idling Program, under which school districts reduce diesel emissions by limiting bus idling near schools. The School Bus Idling program includes 144 districts around the state, representing every county in Arizona.

Under the Diesel School Bus Grant Program, Arizona school districts are eligible for grants up to $35,000 towards the purchase of a new compressed natural gas-powered (CNG) school bus; up to $15,000 towards the purchase of a new school bus equipped to run on ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel & equipped with a diesel particulate filter; & up to $8,000 to retrofit used school buses to run on ULSD with diesel particulate filters.

"This is a win-win program that will protect children from exposure to harmful diesel emissions while helping school districts afford new school buses & technology," said Owens. "We are pleased to partner with these school districts in this very important effort."

The grant awards are:

Compressed Natural Gas Bus Purchases: Total Grants $525,000
Tucson Unified School District: $385,000 towards the purchase of 11 CNG buses
Continental Elementary School District: $140,000 towards the purchase of 4 CNG buses

Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Bus Purchases: Total Grants $ 1,350,000
Tucson Unified School District: $630,000 towards the purchase of 42 ULSD buses
Chandler Unified School District #80: $480,000 towards the purchase of 32 ULSD buses
Phoenix Union High School: $240,000 towards the purchase of 16 ULSD buses

Diesel Particulate Filter Purchases: Total Grants $1,302,000
Tucson Unified School District: $354,144
Scottsdale Unified School District: $269,514
Glendale Union High School District: $177,072
Gilbert Unified School District #41: $149,730
Cave Creek Unified School District: $91,140
Amphitheater Public Schools: $82,026
Chandler Unified School District #80: $76,818
Agua Fria Union High School District #216: $57,288
Phoenix Elementary School District #1: $31,248
Continental Elementary School District: $13,020