EPA Announces Over $10M to St. Louis Public Schools for Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles

EPA Announces Over $10M to St. Louis Public Schools for Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Seventy applicants tentatively selected to receive funding for over 2,400 zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, along with infrastructure and workforce development projects, to tackle climate change, reduce air pollution, and advance environmental justice

December 11, 2024

LENEXA, KAN. (DEC. 11, 2024) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) has been selected to received $10,128,735 to assist in the purchase of 30 zero-emission vehicles through EPA's first-ever Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program.

SLPS is applying to replace 30 Class 6/7 diesel buses with Class 6/7 zero-emission buses to reduce the school district's emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and greenhouse gases. The project will directly improve the air quality for students, staff, and community members and reduce district transportation costs. In addition, the district plans to leverage a public-private partnership with Highland Electric Fleets (Highland) to ensure cost-effective use of EPA funding and successful implementation of the project.

EPA's Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program, created by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, will replace existing internal combustion engine, heavy-duty vehicles with zero-emission vehicles, while also supporting the build-out of clean vehicle infrastructure, as well as the training of workers to deploy these new zero-emission technologies. The selected projects announced today will reduce harmful emissions from heavy-duty vehicles, support good-paying jobs, and improve air quality in communities across the country, particularly in those that have been overburdened by air pollution.

"Thanks to President Biden, we are accelerating American leadership in developing clean technologies that address the impacts of climate change," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "Together, the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant projects announced today will slash air pollution and enhance the country's infrastructure for cleaner transportation solutions, creating good-paying jobs along the way."

"We commend St. Louis Public Schools' dedication to replace 30 diesel busses with zero-emission vehicles," said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. "Their efforts demonstrate a significant commitment to their students and community by promoting a cleaner, greener future."

Across the nation, over 3 million Class 6 and Class 7 vehicles are currently in use, spanning a wide variety of vehicle types and vocations. Many of these are older vehicles that emit higher levels of harmful pollutants, like nitrogen oxides, fine particulate matter, and greenhouse gases, than newer vehicles. This pollution is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular disease, among other serious health problems. Children, older adults, those with preexisting cardiopulmonary disease, and those of lower socioeconomic status are particularly vulnerable to these health impacts. Cleaning up pollution from heavy-duty vehicles helps protect the health of 72 million people living near truck freight routes in America.

EPA's Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program will accelerate the adoption and deployment of eligible Class 6 and 7 zero-emission vehicles. Vehicles eligible for replacement include older vehicles powered by internal combustion engines that pre-date recent EPA emission standards.

Proposed replacement vehicles include battery-electric box trucks, cargo trucks, emergency vehicles, refuse/recycling haulers, school buses, shuttle buses, step vans, transit buses, utility vehicles, and other vocational vehicles, as well as a small number of hydrogen fuel-cell transit buses. In addition, the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program also funds zero-emission vehicle fueling infrastructure (e.g., electric vehicle charging stations), as well as workforce development and training. These investments support the implementation of the Biden-Harris administration's National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization and the National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy.

Approximately 70% of the funding awarded today will support the purchase of clean school buses, helping provide clean air for children on their ride to school. These awards complement EPA's Clean School Bus Program through the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which has awarded nearly $3 billion for nearly 9,000 clean school buses to date.

The Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program advances President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

EPA prioritized disadvantaged communities facing air quality challenges, including nonattainment with EPA's fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and ozone (O₃) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) or high levels of ambient diesel PM. Applications were evaluated on engagement with affected communities, especially local residents, to ensure their meaningful participation with respect to the design, planning, and performance of each project. Approximately $523 million of the funds announced today will be used to fund projects serving communities located in areas in nonattainment with the NAAQS.

In addition to the funding for the replacement of existing internal combustion engine Class 6 and 7 heavy-duty vehicles with eligible Class 6 and 7 zero-emission vehicles, funding may also be used to support zero-emission vehicle adoption and deployment by providing:

• Zero-emission vehicle refueling infrastructure.
• Workforce development and training.
• Project implementation costs.

EPA will work with selected applicants over the coming weeks to finalize the awards. EPA currently anticipates finalizing awards in early calendar year 2025, once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied. Project implementation will occur over the next two to three years, depending on the scope of each project.

Additionally, EPA and the Department of Labor expect to issue in early 2025 a separate grant program designed to strengthen the workforce development ecosystem through curriculum development in order to prepare workers to maintain and repair zero-emission vehicles.

Please visit the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program webpagefor additional information and updates, as EPA works with tentatively selected applicants to finalize awards and implement their projects.

Questions may also be directed to [email protected].

For further information and to stay up to date on matters related to the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program, sign up for the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles listserv.

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