Carper Statement on Biden-Harris Action Plan for Clean School Infrastructure

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, today welcomed the announcement of the Biden-Harris Action Plan for Building Better School Infrastructure, which includes key investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and American Rescue Plan championed by Senator Carper.

“No parent should worry about the quality of air their child is breathing in school — whether in the classroom or on a school bus. That’s why I am delighted to see the Biden-Harris Administration taking action to reduce harmful pollution in our schools and improve the health of our students and teachers. Today’s announcement will help our nation’s schools access the historic funding that Congress has provided for air quality monitoring, clean school buildings, and clean transportation provided in the American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. We fought for these investments to deliver better educational experiences for students across our country — especially those in historically underserved communities that have long carried the burden of high pollution.”

The Biden-Harris Action Plan for Building Better School Infrastructure ensures schools have access to key provisions of law authored and championed by Senator Carper, including:

• Clean and Safe School Transportation: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with support from the Department of Energy (DOE), is releasing new online resources to help school districts and other eligible recipients prepare for the $5 billion Clean School Bus Program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — with the first opportunity to fund clean and electric buses opening later this spring.

• Healthy Air Resources: The White House is also releasing a toolkit to help schools access funding and technical assistance for improving air quality, energy efficiency, and more. This includes access to EPA’s Clean Air in Buildings Challenge launched with American Rescue Plan funding to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and improve indoor air quality in buildings of all kinds, including schools.

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