07 Mar

Apply Now for EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Grants to Help Purchase New Clean-Diesel Buses

March 7, 2016, Deposit, N.Y. – Leonard Bus Sales informed their school transportation partners today that the EPA is now accepting applications for this year’s round of grants under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program. The EPA is offering a total of $26 million in grants nationwide to help curb emissions from school buses with older emissions technology. School Districts are among the entities eligible for the $500,000 to $1.8 million in grant monies available for Region 2, which includes New York.

The deadline for applications is April 26, 2016, with notification of grant recipients expected in June and funds to be made available in October.

“The most cost-effective way to green-up your fleet is to replace older school buses with new, clean-diesel buses,” said Frank Continetti, Leonard Bus Sales Director of Sales and Marketing. “The latest grants made available by the Environmental Protection Agency make that transition to new, clean-diesel buses even more affordable.”

The EPA will fund up to 25% of the cost of a replacement vehicle certified to meet 2015 or newer EPA emissions standards, and up to 35% of the cost of a replacement vehicle that meets California Air Resources Board (CARB) low oxides of nitrogen (NOx) standards. New vehicles must also perform the same function, be the same type, and of similar gross weight or horsepower, as the vehicle being replaced.

The application process is more extensive than it has been in the past. Instead of a one-page application, our school district partners will also be required to include an application for federal assistance, budget information, project narrative and fleet description with your request for proposal.

The EPA is also hosting two on-line public informational seminars to answer any questions you may have about the grant application process. One is scheduled for March 8th at 2 PM, the other for March 10th at 2 PM.

For more information, including complete application details from the EPA, click here.

Leonard Bus Sales, Inc. is owned and operated by the Leonard family, a recognized leader in the distribution and support of quality, environmentally-friendly school buses. A third generation family-owned business, Leonard Bus Sales has a fifty-year history of providing cost-saving fleet management services and award-winning customer support. Leonard Bus Sales is a leading-distributor of IC BusTM brand buses in Upstate New York. The company also distributes Type-A school buses from Trans Tech throughout New York. The company is headquartered in Deposit, NY and operates four full-service facilities in Bergen, Rome, Saratoga Springs and a Trans Tech Type-A facility in Garden City Park, N.Y.