2 New York City congresswomen unveil new electric school bus fleet for Earth Day
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NEW YORK (PIX11) — In a major step forward for environmental justice, Congresswomen Yvette Clarke and Nydia Velazquez celebrated Earth Day by highlighting the arrival of brand-new electric school buses.
The buses, arriving at Greenpoint Bus Depot for an Earth Day celebration, are part of the EPA’s $5 billion Clean Bus Program. This program is funding the replacement of existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models across the country over the next five years.
“We know that CO2 emissions in the air have contributed greatly to the change in climate that we are experiencing. We know that it has caused a number of issues, particularly in urban environments like ours – environmental degradation, healthcare challenges and disparities,” said Clarke.
Clarke and Velazquez believe in these electric buses. Clarke noted that New York City has the largest school bus fleet in the nation, and diesel-powered buses have long been a major contributor to poor air quality in communities of color.
“Air quality issues are our concern in communities that are overburdened, and diesel school buses put out greenhouse gases into the air, and it really impacts air quality,” said Olivia Glenn with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Twenty-five electric school buses have been ordered and are expected to join the district’s fleet in the next few days.
“One way to contribute to the students’ performance in school is by lowering this type of environmental pollution that affects the health of the children,” Velazquez said.
The arrival of the new electric school buses marks a significant milestone as part of broader efforts to provide cleaner air and a healthier future for all New York City students.
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