Congresswoman Lee Announces Plum Borough, Woodland Hills, Bethel Park School Districts to Receive a Total of 57 Electric School Buses

**For Immediate Release**

Kyla Gill, Kyla.Gill@mail.house.gov

Congresswoman Lee Announces Plum Borough, Woodland Hills, Bethel Park School Districts to Receive a Total of 57 Electric School Buses

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Summer Lee announced that Plum Borough, Woodland Hills, and Bethel Park School Districts are receiving a total of 57 electric buses as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023 Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, funded by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. These rebates will award the school districts with over $14 million to purchase a total of 57 clean school buses which will accelerate the transition to zero emission vehicles and produce cleaner air in and around schools and communities.

“We are beyond excited to announce that Plum Borough, Woodland Hills, and Bethel Park School Districts will receive 57 brand new electric school buses with a $14,370,000 Clean School Bus Program award from the EPA,” said Rep. Summer Lee (PA-12). “Our school districts are foundations of our communities and must be centered in this green transition. Every diesel-powered school bus we replace means removing 23 tons of greenhouse gases every single year. Our children deserve a healthy future where they can breathe clean air and drink clean water–and this is one crucial step in achieving that reality. My team and I look forward to continuing to fight to make sure our schools in PA-12 are not forgotten.”

“Electric school buses are a game-changer for Southwestern Pennsylvania, and thanks to Congresswoman Summer Lee’s tireless advocacy, our children, bus drivers, and communities can breathe a sigh of relief,” said Vanessa Lynch from Moms Clean Air Force. “Cleaner air inside and outside of the bus means healthier lungs, sharper minds, and a brighter future for our kids. We’re incredibly grateful for Congresswoman Lee’s dedication to securing these electric buses for the families of PA-12.”

School District Name:	Number of Electric Buses Awarded:	Total Awarded:
Plum Borough	25	$5,000,000.00
Woodland Hills	22	$7,370,000.00
Bethel Park	10	$2,000,000.00

Earlier this year in February, Congresswoman Summer Lee hosted a press conference announcing a $40 million federal grant awarded for First Student to buy 100 electric school buses. These new buses will help to dramatically improve air quality in and around schools, advance environmental justice, and combat climate change statewide. Of these 100 electric buses, 45 were awarded to the Pittsburgh School District. Lee detailed the direct impact of the clean buses students’ health and raised awareness of the deadline for Pittsburgh schools to apply for funding so more schools could receive the buses.

The Clean School Bus Program is having far-reaching effects across school districts and their surrounding communities. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionately affect communities of color and Tribal communities, ensures cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day.

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