U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean School Bus Program: Office of Inspector General Audit Notification

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) issued a Notification of Audit titled:

The EPA’s Clean School Bus Program (“Notification”)

See Project No. OA-FY23-0051.

The Notification was transmitted from Khadija Walker, OIG Director, Recycling Cleanup and Pollution Prevention, Office of Audit and transmitted to Joseph Goffman, EPA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator Performing Delegated Duties of Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation.

The Notification states that as part of OIG’s oversight plan for fiscal year 2023 it plans to begin an audit of the EPA’s clean school bus program.

EPA’s clean school bus program provides funding to eligible applicants for the replacement of existing school busses with alternative fuel school buses or zero-emission school buses. Awards up to 100 percent of the cost of the replacement bus, charging equipment, or fueling infrastructure may be provided.

Alternative fuels include:

• Electricity
• Natural Gas
• Hydrogen
• Propane

Eligible applicants include:

• School districts
• State and local government programs
• Federally recognized Indian Tribes
• Non-profit organizations
• Eligible contractors

EPA prioritizes funding for high-need, low education agencies; low income; rural and Tribal schools.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is projected to provide the program $5 billion over the next five years.

A number of Arkansas school districts have previously received grants, such as:

• Wonderview
• Blytheville
• Al Pena
• Danville

The February 27th OIG Notification states that the objective of the audit is to:

. . . determine whether potential supply chain or production delays could impact the EPA’s efforts to disburse and manage clean school bus program funds pursuant to section 71101 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

A copy of the Notification can be downloaded here.