UNION CITY, NJ – Congressman Rob Menendez today joined Senator Cory Booker, Union City Mayor Brian Stack, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials at the Jose Marti STEM Academy to highlight $18,948,121 in Clean School Bus Program grant funding for school districts in New Jersey. Due to this grant, which Congressman Menendez wrote a letter of support for, Union City, Elizabeth, and Newark will be able to purchase new low and zero-emission school buses.
“It is an honor to join Senator Booker, Mayor Stack, and officials from the Environmental Protection Agency to highlight the $19 million in federal funding that we have secured to ensure cleaner air in our Eighth District communities,” said Congressman Menendez. “The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act continues to deliver for our residents with this funding that will allow our children to benefit from new state-of-the-art school buses while reducing pollutants in our cities and towns. Thank you to the Biden Administration, as well as Mayors Stack, Bollwage, and Baraka for their partnership on this critical environmental issue.”
“I’m proud to work with the Biden Administration to deliver funding that will benefit five New Jersey school districts with clean school buses, a significant investment in protecting our children’s health and combating the climate crisis,” said Senator Booker. “When we crafted the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, these are among the groundbreaking investments into our communities that I envisioned. Electric school buses are a win-win for our children, bus drivers, and our communities, providing a cleaner, healthier environment and producing long-term savings. Today’s grant announcement is the product of a months-long process during which my office worked closely with the awardees, and I’m confident this is one of many more awards to come. My office is continuously engaged with districts throughout the state seeking to transition to an electric fleet.”
“I want to thank Senator Booker, Rep. Menendez, and Governor Murphy for all their support in securing funding from the Clean School Bus program,” said Union City Mayor Stack. “Union City is honored to be one of only five school districts in New Jersey to be chosen to receive this money. These new electric school busses will provide cleaner air through reduced greenhouse emissions, reduce health risks especially for children with respiratory problems, and save on maintenance and fuel costs.”
“Today’s funding means cleaner air and less pollution…which equals healthier kids!” said EPA Chief of Staff Olivia Glenn. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’ll breathe easier in New Jersey having these quiet, tailpipe-less school buses carrying our kids to and from school and other activities. Making our neighborhoods cleaner and better places to live is how we advance environmental justice and is what investing in America is all about.”
Union City, Elizabeth, and Newark are three of only 67 municipalities in the United States to receive awards through the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program.
Union City will purchase 12 new buses. Elizabeth will purchase six new buses, and Newark will purchase seven new buses due to these grant awards.
