NSTA pools applicants for $9.5 million in EPA grants

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) has submitted applications on behalf of 13 of its member companies for EPA grants.

The EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction grants, supported by stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, are not available to private school bus companies, so NSTA submitted a group proposal as a nonprofit organization.

The combined total cost of the proposed projects is more than $22.5 million, with $13 million coming from the member companies as matching funds.

The proposals include replacement of 234 older school buses with new clean diesel and propane buses, retrofitting 400 buses with diesel exhaust and crankcase emissions reduction technology, and installing fuel-operated heaters on 366 buses.

EPA will distribute $156 million through this program to operators of on-road and off-road vehicles as well as non-vehicle projects.

NSTA reported in a recent newsletter that the EPA intends to notify applicants in early June.