For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Anjuli.Ramos@sierraclub.org
Sierra Club Joins Electric School Bus Ride at NJ Statehouse
Trenton – Environmental organizations including the Sierra Club NJ, Environment NJ, along with Senator Zwicker held an Electric School Bus event today for NJ legislators as the electric school bus bill, S759 (Diegnan/Greenstein)/ A1282 (Stanley/Haider/Timberlake) is up for a vote by the full State Senate today.
The bill requires the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to develop and implement a three-year “Electric School Bus Program.” The purpose of the program is to determine the operational reliability and cost effectiveness of replacing diesel-powered school buses with electric school buses for daily transportation of students. This bill provides for $15 million in the first year and $15 million annually in subsequent two years to NJDEP, a total of $45 million subject to availability, to provide grants to school districts.
“New Jersey is lagging very far behind other states in the region regarding the electrification of the state’s school bus fleet” said Bill Beren, Transportation Chair for the Sierra Club, NJ Chapter. “Only $25 million has been allocated out of the VW Settlement and the Regional Green House Gas Initiative payments to buy 77 electric school buses. Meanwhile, Montgomery County in Maryland has signed a contract to replace all 250 diesel school buses in their fleet, and both New York City and now NY State have set a goal to replace all their diesel school buses by 2035.”
“It’s critical for the NJ legislature to prioritize our kid’s health and our environment by supporting the electric school bus bill. Children are among the most vulnerable to health impacts from air pollution caused by diesel emissions. As a mother, it’s important that my son will be able to ride a school bus with zero emissions. Not only will this transition from diesel to electric reduce air pollution and protect our kids' health, it will also provide an economic benefit to school districts,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, New Jersey Chapter Director of the Sierra Club. “Thank you to the bill sponsors, Assemblyman Stanley and Senator Dignan, for supporting this important piece of legislation and for leading the way to a cleaner and greener NJ.”
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The Sierra Club is not only the nation's oldest and largest environmental group, but one of the most influential when it comes to making political endorsements. The New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club has close to over 80,000 members and supporters in New Jersey and 3.8 million members nationwide.