FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2023
BACK TO SCHOOL: IT’S ELECTRIC!
Community members gathering to support school districts in securing free federal money for electric buses
WHAT: On September 20, parents, educators, and community members who are interested in seeing their students on cleaner buses will gather at Como Regional Park to learn how to work with their school districts to apply for federal electric school bus funding.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) gives the EPA $5 billion dollars over the next five years to financially support the deployment of electric school buses. In the first round of funding, Minnesota only got four electric buses (less than half of what any of our neighboring states received). The second round of funding opens this Fall.
WHY: For people concerned about young peoples’ health, federally-subsidized electric school buses are an obvious choice. Asthma-inducing particulate matter levels are up to 15 times higher inside a diesel school bus than an electric school bus. Students exposed to lower diesel bus emissions have been proven to have fewer absent school days, better lung function, and improved test scores.
This is also an equity issue. Areas in Minnesota with the highest percentage of BIPOC residents have more than 5 times the rate of asthma emergency room visits related to air pollution compared to areas with more white residents. Cleaner electric school buses is one route to environmental justice.
Because applications for governmental programs can be daunting, staff and volunteer leaders at MN350 are putting this program on in order to support community members in working with their school districts to apply.
WHERE:
Como Regional Park
1199 MIDWAY Pkwy
Saint Paul, MN 55118
WHEN:
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
6:30-8:30 p.m.
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ABOUT
MN350 is a statewide climate advocacy group with 30,000 supporters. We work to make Minnesota a national leader in a just transition to a clean energy economy. MN350 Action is its political and advocacy arm.
