NJ Sierra Club Initiates Campaign for Electric School Buses

The New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club is announcing a campaign to promote electric school buses. At its state meeting on Saturday, August 11th, the Executive Committee of the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club passed a resolution in strong support of the campaign.

“The NJ Sierra Club Chapter has recently formed a Transportation Committee to follow through on this effort to promote electric school buses and meet with members of the Legislature. This campaign would help us make progress in reducing greenhouse gasses and creating cleaner air for communities, and especially children, to breathe,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

The resolution passed by the Club is based in the following:

-Modern, battery-powered electric school buses do not emit harmful toxic pollutants, thereby protecting children’s health by reducing their exposure to harmful air pollutants as they board and ride school buses, and also improving local air quality for all community members;
-Over the life cycle of electric school buses, the buses will cost less to own and operate than diesel or CNG school buses, thereby saving New Jersey taxpayers money; and
-Electric school buses will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming, especially if there is sufficient renewable energy to charge them.

The Sierra Club is strongly supporting legislation to advance electric school buses. This includes A3830 (Pinkin) / S2436 (Diegnan), calling for a pilot program for three school districts in the State to initiate an electric school bus program. The three districts will be selected from each of three areas, the north, south and central parts of the State. The funds for the program are to come from the Board of Public Utilities Societal Benefits Program, the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund, and/or other available funds.

“It is our hope that the Legislature will hold hearings on the bills this Fall,” said Bill Beren, Chair of the Transportation Committee. The New Jersey Chapter also supports S723 (Greenstein) and S721 (Greenstein), both of which authorize using electric busses and increases the permitted width of school buses from 96 to 102 inches.

“We are optimistic about the bills becoming law because they can improve the health of our children,” said NJ Chapter Clean Air Issues Coordinator [and member of the Raritan Valley Group] Paul Ehrlich.

[click here for details on how school buses benefit our children, municipalities, and state]