EPA - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
10/23/2024 | Press release | Archived content
Administrator Michael Regan, Remarks for the the Durham, NC Clean School Bus Event, As Prepared for Delivery
Remarks for the Durham Clean School Bus Event, As Prepared for Delivery
Michael Regan
October 23, 2024
Durham, NC
Thank you, Alexa, for that introduction and to both students-Jackson and Alexa-for representing your school so brilliantly.
Good afternoon, everyone! It's my honor to join you all.
Representative Foushee, I appreciate the warm welcome and the invitation to be here today. Thank you for all you do for the people of your district.
Superintendent Dr. Lewis, it's wonderful to have you here...and to all the staff at the Southern School of Energy and Sustainability, thank you for hosting us.
Mayor Williams, thank you for joining us, and I'd like to acknowledge the outstanding work and unwavering commitment of your team here in Durham.
To the representatives from Carolina Thomas and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, it's great to see you...thank you for helping us build a clean transportation future.
And to all the students here- it's been amazing to see your joy and school spirit! I'm so happy I've had this opportunity to get to know your school better.
Before I begin, I'd like to acknowledge the challenging times this state is facing right now due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
EPA has been on the ground...working around the clock...staying laser focused on providing the support and resources needed for a sustainable and efficient recovery.
Our mission continues to be to assess the damage to drinking and wastewater systems...help remove disaster debris...and remove hazardous materials to ensure critical public health and environmental protections.
We will not rest until communities across this state are safe and access to clean, safe drinking water has been restored.
Natural disasters like these highlight the urgency of climate action...and since day one, President Biden and Vice President Harris have put forth a bold and ambitious environmental agenda to tackle climate change head on.
And this includes ensuring that students and children across the country can thrive in clean and healthy communities.
My team knows this well...but my favorite days on the job are those when I have an opportunity to engage with young folks like you.
You all represent the best and the brightest our country has to offer, and I'm inspired by our young leaders.
So, it's only right that we are here today to celebrate and highlight the power of electric school buses.
Every single day, millions of children ride the bus to and from school...for many, it's a quintessential childhood experience.
But traditional vehicles that transport our students rely on internal combustion engines that emit toxic pollutants into the air.
These pollutants are harmful to the environment and harmful to people's health...especially for the children who ride the bus, the bus drivers responsible for transporting our precious cargo, and the folks in the surrounding community.
Today, I am proud to announce that EPA has selected both Highland Electric and Carolina Thomas bus companies to receive almost $2 million dollars and $10 million dollars respectively through our Clean School Bus Program grants to spend on Durham public school bus projects.
To date, EPA's Clean School Bus Program has awarded nearly $3 billion dollars for almost 9,000 electric and low-emission buses in 1,300 schools nationwide.
In North Carolina alone, this program has delivered almost $70 million dollars to 32 school districts to replace over 230 school buses across the state.
Today's announcement will add 38 additional new electric school buses here in Durham-bringing cleaner transportation to communities across North Carolina.
Transitioning to clean school buses means cleaner air and less pollution.
It means healthier kids and healthier communities.
It means less time away from school and increased focus and productivity.
And it means good-paying American manufacturing jobs right here in North Carolina and across the country.
I couldn't be more optimistic about where we're headed together.
And I couldn't be more grateful for the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, who are working every single day to build a better future for our children and students.
Mark my words: zero-emission school buses, can and one day, will be the American standard.
Thank you for helping us get there. Now it's time to hit the accelerator!
With that, I'd like to take a few questions from the media.