Montco Gets Major Funding For Clean Diesel School Bus Program

HARRISBURG, PA — Thirty-five school buses belonging to bus company First Student, Inc. in Montgomery County, and six class 8 trucks belonging to Upper Darby Township in neighboring Delaware County, will be among a number of buses across the commonwealth that will be converted to clean diesel thanks to grant funding announced by Gov. Tom Wolf's office Wednesday.

The Wolf administration announced the $3 million in funding through the Driving PA Forward - Truck & Bus Fleet Grant Program, which comes from the Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund as a result of a large settlement against Volkswagen. The other portion of the money comes from the Zero Emission Vehicle Fund.

The grant funding will go toward the conversion of older diesel-powered vehicles to newer clean diesel-powered vehicles, with the goal of better air quality being a high driver behind the program.

"We are grateful to the awardees for their commitment to converting their vehicle fleets to clean diesel-powered vehicles, which decreases air pollutants, making Pennsylvania's air cleaner," Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell said in a statement.

First Student will see a share of $896,175 in funding distributed to three counties, including Montgomery.

In Delaware County, Upper Darby alone will get $735,000.

According to the Wolf administration, conversion to clean diesel trucks and buses reduces large amounts of nitrogen oxide pollution and leads to less fine particulate matter and ozone formation.

The conversion projects would also reduce hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, the DEP says.

Aside from the awardees in Montgomery and Delaware Counties, there were other awardees located in Cumberland, Northampton, Allegheny, Center, Dauphin and Washington Counties, according to the Wolf administration.

Wolf's office says that the funding will last two years, with extensions possible.

The Driving PA Forward - Truck & Bus Fleet Grant Program was formerly known as the Class 8 Truck and Transit Bus Grant Program. More about the program can be learned here.