WASHINGTON, D.C. — Transportation executive Dale Krapf testified on Wednesday before Congress on the reauthorization of the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) program.

Krapf is the past president of the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) and chairman of The Krapf Group, one of the largest passenger transportation companies in the U.S. Headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, the Krapf Group is also a pupil transportation provider.

Krapf testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. During his remarks, Krapf noted NSTA’s support of the DERA program, which provides funding for clean diesel projects, as well as the preceding Clean School Bus Program.

“We are proud of the progress that has been made,” Krapf told the Senate committee, “and especially that the school bus sector has probably been the single largest sector to benefit from the program since the program was established. Communities around the country benefit by having new or retrofitted buses to take children to and from school.”

Throughout the hearing, Senate Committee members emphasized not only the importance of the program in their states in curbing pollution and carbon emissions, but also the fact that the technology used has been overwhelmingly developed in the United States and is now being exported around the world, according to the NSTA.

Krapf also explained the overall impact school buses have on the environment in reducing the number of vehicles on the road, providing cleaner air, and reinforcing safety for students.

"Each day, nearly 500,000 school buses transport over 26 million school children to and from school  —more than inter-city and intra-city bus transportation, rail, and aviation combined," Krapf told the Senate committee. "School buses help ease congestion, help save energy, and reduce pollution by taking an average of 36 cars off the road for each bus in service."

Krapf added that he “was happy to provide testimony on this important program and to see such strong bipartisan support.”

The bill introduced to extend the DERA program for five more years was presented to lawmakers on Tuesday, according to a news release from the NSTA.

As previously reported, Krapf spoke about the NSTA's support of the DERA program at a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency event to honor Children’s Health Month in October. Krapf School Bus displayed one of its buses, which was purchased through funds under the DERA initiative, at the event. 

Watch a recorded live stream of the hearing here.