Industry Disappointed Yet Hopeful Over
2005 Clean School Bus Funding

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - President Bush signed a congressional omnibus bill on Dec. 8 that puts EPA Clean School Bus USA funding at $7.4 million next year, signifying the most federal money in the program's three years of existence but far below what the industry says is necessary.

Last year, 20 school districts and local air quality districts nationwide shared $5 million in awards benefitting retrofit and alternative fuel programs. The Bush Administration had requested $65 million for fiscal year 2005, but the Senate appropriations committee came back with a recommendation for $10 million. The House then became involved and withdrew all money before both sides settled on the current amount.

Mike Martin, NAPT executive director pointed to concerted effort by members of the school bus industry and engine manufacturers in the days leading up to Congress' vote on the funding that turned the tide. NAPT also secured 204 customized letters to Congress from its online legislative alert engine issued a week before the bill's passing.

"The House wasn't inclined to fund this initiative at all," said Martin. "It was simply because of our coalition that they ended up giving us a 50 percnet increase. The $64,000 question is, will we be as effective next year? 2005 as a legislative session will be a watershed for us."

The Union of Concerned Scientists decried the final 2005 amount.

"Though it keeps the prospects for school bus cleanup alive, it is a disappointing result for such a popular and successful program," UCS said on its web site.

  It added that its own efforts will increase next year as it joins coalition partners in Washington and the CleanSchoolBus.org alliance across the nation "not only to obtain increased funding from Congress, but to ensure that EPA's administration of the program ensures the appropriate balance between replacing the oldest and dirtiest buses and retrofitting the new buses to run more cleanly."

Robin Leeds , an industry specialist with NSTA, said funding could be worse, adding that 2005 funds demonstrate support for the federal program remains in Congress.

"Obviously, we are all disappointed in the funding level," she said. "(But funding is) not as bad as it could be. It is closer to $10 million so that's an encouraging sign."

When considering the 450,000-odd school buses on the nation's roads and looming 2007 EPA emissions reduction standards, however, she said the money has little legs.

Conceived to encourage school districts to retrofit and update fleets at an expedited rate in light of the Clean Air Act, Martin added that the industry must increase its lobbying efforts because the incentive for Congress to fund the program will become less and less over the next couple of years "because we'll have to do this by mandate."