02F54401
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
Description:
This project aims to improve air quality by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reduce asthma-related illnesses in the San Antonio School District and Bexar County by replacing fifteen diesel-powered school buses with fifteen electric vehicle (zero emissions) buses. While new buses meet USEPA's tougher emission standards, many older buses continue to emit pollutants that can be harmful to health like nitrogen oxides or particulate matter.
The San Antonio Independent School District students are particularly vulnerable to air pollution inside and near older diesel school buses. The district is located within the 60-100th percentile nationally for diesel particulate matter on the Environmental Justice Screening Tool. According to USEPA's Environmental Justice Mapping Tool, the district's county location (Bexar County) is in the 75th percentile for particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and the 80-90th percentile for air toxics cancer risk. These pollutants increase students' risk of asthma and other respiratory illnesses, which is also linked to missing school. The purchase of these new cleaner school buses will produce zero emissions compared to their older diesel predecessors, and cleaner air in bus loading areas and in the district communities in which they operate.
The intent of this purchase is four-fold: to help decrease greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, hydrofluorocarbons, methane, nitrous oxide, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride), educate students on the benefits of green energy, partner with the San Antonio community, and encourage labor engagement in the community. The use of union-built electric school buses will reduce exposure to diesel fumes for the students who ride these vehicles and these measures of poor air quality. Improved air quality has been shown to not only reduce respiratory challenges but have also been shown to improve learning outcomes.
Activities:
The activities include replacing fifteen diesel-powered school buses with fifteen Class 7 zero-emission electric vehicle school buses and installing nine DC fast vehicle charging stations to support the charging infrastructure within the San Antonio Independent School District community (Bexar County). USEPA funds only will be used for purchase of the school buses. Procurement of the new school buses will be followed in accordance with USEPA procurement guidelines and expected to be completed by March 2026. The new school buses will serve the San Antonio Independent School District, with a student population of approximately 46,000, as well as the surrounding community in Bexar County.
The old diesel-powered school buses selected for replacement will have vehicle model years of 2010 or older, have a gross vehicle rating of 10,001 pounds or more, will have been fully operational at the time of application submission, and have had provided bus service to the public school district for at least 3 days/week on average during the 2022/2023 school year at the time of applying for this grant. By the end of the project period, these buses will be scrapped by the district in accordance with USEPA's preferred scrappage method for this grant. These procedures will involve cutting a three-inch-by-three inch hole in the engine block (the part of the engine containing the cylinders) and cutting or crushing one chassis rail between the axles. For evidence regarding proper scrappage and disposal of the buses, extensive photos will be taken by the district during the scrappage process and a signed scrappage statement will be submitted to the agency with the recipient's final report.
The purchased vehicles will have a battery electric drivetrain, be a new EPA or California Air Resources Board certified vehicle model year 2021 or newer, have a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, serve the school district for at least 5 years from the date of delivery, meet federal safety standards, be maintained, operated, and repaired in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, and be operated in a manner consistent with the manufacturer's intended use.
This project aims to improve air quality by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reduce asthma-related illnesses in the San Antonio School District and Bexar County by replacing fifteen diesel-powered school buses with fifteen electric vehicle (zero emissions) buses. While new buses meet USEPA's tougher emission standards, many older buses continue to emit pollutants that can be harmful to health like nitrogen oxides or particulate matter.
The San Antonio Independent School District students are particularly vulnerable to air pollution inside and near older diesel school buses. The district is located within the 60-100th percentile nationally for diesel particulate matter on the Environmental Justice Screening Tool. According to USEPA's Environmental Justice Mapping Tool, the district's county location (Bexar County) is in the 75th percentile for particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and the 80-90th percentile for air toxics cancer risk. These pollutants increase students' risk of asthma and other respiratory illnesses, which is also linked to missing school. The purchase of these new cleaner school buses will produce zero emissions compared to their older diesel predecessors, and cleaner air in bus loading areas and in the district communities in which they operate.
The intent of this purchase is four-fold: to help decrease greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, hydrofluorocarbons, methane, nitrous oxide, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride), educate students on the benefits of green energy, partner with the San Antonio community, and encourage labor engagement in the community. The use of union-built electric school buses will reduce exposure to diesel fumes for the students who ride these vehicles and these measures of poor air quality. Improved air quality has been shown to not only reduce respiratory challenges but have also been shown to improve learning outcomes.
Activities:
The activities include replacing fifteen diesel-powered school buses with fifteen Class 7 zero-emission electric vehicle school buses and installing nine DC fast vehicle charging stations to support the charging infrastructure within the San Antonio Independent School District community (Bexar County). USEPA funds only will be used for purchase of the school buses. Procurement of the new school buses will be followed in accordance with USEPA procurement guidelines and expected to be completed by March 2026. The new school buses will serve the San Antonio Independent School District, with a student population of approximately 46,000, as well as the surrounding community in Bexar County.
The old diesel-powered school buses selected for replacement will have vehicle model years of 2010 or older, have a gross vehicle rating of 10,001 pounds or more, will have been fully operational at the time of application submission, and have had provided bus service to the public school district for at least 3 days/week on average during the 2022/2023 school year at the time of applying for this grant. By the end of the project period, these buses will be scrapped by the district in accordance with USEPA's preferred scrappage method for this grant. These procedures will involve cutting a three-inch-by-three inch hole in the engine block (the part of the engine containing the cylinders) and cutting or crushing one chassis rail between the axles. For evidence regarding proper scrappage and disposal of the buses, extensive photos will be taken by the district during the scrappage process and a signed scrappage statement will be submitted to the agency with the recipient's final report.
The purchased vehicles will have a battery electric drivetrain, be a new EPA or California Air Resources Board certified vehicle model year 2021 or newer, have a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, serve the school district for at least 5 years from the date of delivery, meet federal safety standards, be maintained, operated, and repaired in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, and be operated in a manner consistent with the manufacturer's intended use.
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Bexar,
Texas
United States
Geographic Scope
County-Wide
Related Opportunity
San Antonio Independent School District was awarded
Clean Air Initiative: Electric School Buses for San Antonio Schools
Project Grant 02F54401
worth $5,925,000
from EPA Region 6: Dallas in June 2024 with work to be completed primarily in Texas United States.
The grant
has a duration of 3 years and
was awarded through assistance program 66.045 Clean School Bus Program.
The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity 2023 Clean School Bus (CSB) Grant Program.
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 6/6/24
Period of Performance
6/3/24
Start Date
5/31/27
End Date
Funding Split
$5.9M
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$5.9M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
02F54401
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Independent School District
Awarding Office
68HF06 REGION 6 (GRANTS OFFICE)
Funding Office
68V000 REGION 6 (FUNDING OFFICE)
Awardee UEI
T126TLW9VC71
Awardee CAGE
3W1B1
Performance District
TX-28
Senators
John Cornyn
Ted Cruz
Ted Cruz
Modified: 6/6/24