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Proposed legislation will speed transition from diesel school buses and trucks
(Annapolis) – Children, parents, and other advocates joined state legislators today in Annapolis to show support for two bills that will speed the transition of diesel school buses and trucks to zero-emission, clean vehicles.
“Diesel school buses emit pollutants that kids breathe into their developing lungs,” said Ramon Palencia-Calvo, director of Chispa Maryland, which organized the event with partners. “We need to protect the health of our children by transitioning school bus fleets to clean, zero-emission electric school buses.”
The Electric School Bus Pilot Program (HB696/SB948), sponsored by Del. David Fraser-Hidalgo and Sen. Ben Kramer, would create a pilot program for school districts to purchase zero-emission electric buses rather than diesel ones. The program ensures there are no additional capital, administrative, or operational costs to the school system, said Palencia-Calvo.
“According to research from U.S. Pirg, if we were to replace all diesel buses in the United States with electric buses, it would cut a staggering 2 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Delegate David Fraser-Hidalgo. “The time is NOW to transition Maryland’s vehicles to electric for the sake of our environment, our children, and our future. I hope you will join me in supporting my bill this session to electrify school buses.”
Event attendees also spoke in support of the Zero-Emission Truck Act of 2022 (HB829/SB687), which would require the Department of the Environment to adopt a regulation called the Advanced Clean Truk rule to require large vehicle manufacturers to sell more zero emission school buses and trucks in Maryland.
“Electrifying trucks and school buses will help Marylanders breathe cleaner air and tackle the pollution that is contributing to the climate crisis. I’m proud to sponsor the Zero Emission-Truck Act so that Maryland can make steps toward building a healthier and brighter future for everyone,” said Delegate Sara Love, (D16 of Montgomery County).
“Every day, more than 650,000 children in Maryland ride to school on one of the state’s approximately 7,200 diesel school buses,” said Sen. Ben Kramer. “Every year, school buses in Maryland travel more than 128 million miles. The time for action on the climate crises is today. I am pleased to be working with Del. Fraser-Hidalgo to be part of that timely action. Electric school buses reduce carbon emissions, provide long-term cost savings and can enhance grid reliability through vehicle to grid technology. Replacing one diesel bus with one electric bus is the equivalent of removing more than 5 cars from the road. Electric buses are 60 percent less expensive to operate and maintain, saving money which can be used to teach our children at the same we are saving the planet for our children.”
“In Maryland, if you are a person of color, chances are the air you breathe is more polluted than the air a white person breathes,” said Candida Garcia, Chispa Maryland environmental justice advocate. “Our communities are disproportionately exposed to air pollution from the use of diesel and other fossil fuels that harm our climate. We need and demand clean air to improve the health of our children and the quality of life in our communities.”
“By electrifying large trucks and school buses, the Advanced Clean Truck rule is one critical tool in the effort to combat toxic air pollution that makes us sick and contributes to climate change,” said Lindsey Mendelson, Transportation Representative with the Maryland Sierra Club. “It could also create high quality green jobs in the process.”
“The burden of air pollution from dirty school buses and trucks is not evenly shared,” said Chispa Maryland’s Palencia-Calvo. “Low-income communities and communities of color face higher exposure to pollutants. Asthma is the leading chronic disease among children. Black children are twice as likely to have asthma as white children and are 10 times more likely than white kids to die of complications from asthma. Latino children are 40 percent more likely to die from asthma than white kids. We need to act now to change these statistics.”
