Senator Reverend Warnock has led several efforts that support Georgia’s clean energy economy, including the transition of gas-powered school buses to electric
Senators Reverend Warnock, Ossoff: “EPA’s bureaucratic delays of these projects could jeopardize Federal investments that will tangibly benefit the health and wellbeing of young people in Georgia. It is imperative that the EPA reverse course”
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) urged the Trump Administration to unfreeze federal support for Georgia school districts.
Georgia’s U.S. Senators urged Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin to honor federal awards to school districts in Baldwin and Clayton Counties under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Clean School Bus program, which provides federal funding to reimburse school districts for the purchase of clean school buses.
Last year, the EPA announced Clayton County would be receiving federal resources to help purchase 25 electric buses, while Baldwin County would be receiving Federal resources to help purchase six new electric school buses.
“We write to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to expeditiously resume reimbursement of Clean School Bus (CSB) program rebates from the bipartisan infrastructure law, which were awarded to school districts in Georgia to purchase new school buses,” wrote the Georgia Senators.
“Clayton County and Baldwin County have each complied with the terms of their rebates, but the EPA is now needlessly and inexplicably refusing to honor Baldwin and Clayton County’s rebate,” the Senators continued. “EPA’s bureaucratic delays of these projects could jeopardize Federal investments that will tangibly benefit the health and wellbeing of young people in Georgia. It is imperative that the EPA reverse course.”
Last year, Senators Warnock and Ossoff delivered federal funding to multiple Georgia school districts to purchase new school buses through the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Bus Awards program, totaling nearly $60 million.
Since assuming office, Senator Warnock has made it a point to help transition Georgia and the nation to a sustainable future that combats the growing threat of climate change, protects the health and safety of Georgians from pollutants, and creates good-paying clean-energy jobs. Senator Warnock introduced the Clean Commute for Kids Act to transition old yellow diesel school buses to greener, emission-reducing ones. Thanks to Senator Warnock’s leadership, millions of Georgia students and students across the country will have cleaner air to breathe on their way to school. This measure follows Senator Warnock commitment to creating sustainable jobs that are good for the environment and our economy. Senator Warnock fought to keep 2,600 clean-energy jobs in Georgia, and while in office has met with several clean-energy leaders to advance efforts to address climate change will creating good-paying jobs.
The letter can be viewed HERE and below:
Dear Administrator Zeldin:
We write to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to expeditiously resume reimbursement of Clean School Bus (CSB) program rebates from the bipartisan infrastructure law which were awarded to school districts in Georgia to purchase new school buses.
In 2024, for instance, Clayton County, Georgia was awarded $8.7 million to purchase 25 new school buses. Baldwin County, Georgia, was awarded over $2 million to help purchase six new school buses for their students.
Clayton County and Baldwin County have each complied with the terms of their rebates, but the EPA is now needlessly and inexplicably refusing to honor Baldwin and Clayton County’s rebates.
EPA’s bureaucratic delays of these projects could jeopardize Federal investments that will tangibly benefit the health and wellbeing of young people in Georgia.
It is imperative that the EPA reverse course. We request a written response within one week with an update on the status of CSB rebates for school districts in Georgia, specifically for Clayton County and Baldwin County, as well as a detailed reasoning for the EPA’s delay of this investment.
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