Clean Air

Chispa and LCV Statements On Fourth Round of EPA Clean School Bus Program Investments

For Immediate Release September 26, 2024 Contact: Jessie Cohen, jcohen@lcv.org Elena Gaona, egaona@lcv.org, 202-907-9717   Washington, D.C. — In response to today’s announcement from the Biden-Harris administration of a fourth investment of nearly $1 billion in clean school buses from the EPA Clean School Bus Program 2024 Rebates, Chispa and the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) released the following statements: “We celebrate this new round of nearly $1 billion in funding for the EPA Clean School Bus program, which has been very successful in delivering cleaner buses for kids and cleaner air for the communities most harmed by toxic transportation fumes and other pollutants in their neighborhoods for far too long,” said Chispa Senior Director Estefany Carrasco-González. “Already, the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program has more than tripled the number of zero-emission electric school buses in the country, and with today’s announcement, will continue to offer an equitable opportunity for all families, parents, students, and communities to get support in improving the quality of the air they breathe and the health of our children. We look forward to working to ensure this funding reaches our communities.”  *** “The EPA’s Clean School Bus Program is already bringing safer, healthier air to children across the country, and this new funding will allow even more school districts to replace their dirty diesel school buses with clean, electric models,” said LCV Government Affairs Advocate on Climate Change & Clean Energy Darien Davis. “The Biden-Harris administration continues to roll out critical investments from the affordable clean energy plan that help put cleaner air in reach for more students, tackle climate change, and help school districts buy books and pay teachers instead of allowing Big Oil to poison their communities, especially communities of color and communities with low wealth, with toxic diesel pollution.  We encourage schools to apply for support for electric school buses to get cleaner rides for their kids and we look forward to continuing to work with the Biden-Harris administration and the EPA to encourage investments in communities facing the worst air pollution and with the fewest resources to clean up their air.” ###

Chispa and LCV Statements On Fourth Round of EPA Clean School Bus Program Investments Read More »

LCV and Chispa Statements on EPA’s Clean School Bus Grant Program Announcement

For Immediate Release January 8, 2024 Contact: Mika Hyer, mhyer@lcv.org, 940-783-2230 Washington, D.C.— In response to today’s EPA announcement awarding $965 million to school districts from the Clean School Bus Grants program, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Chispa released the following statements: “The Biden-Harris administration is continuing to deliver on historic investments towards a clean energy future with more clean buses that will help address environmental injustice in the communities of color and communities with low wealth, and increase good paying union jobs in our country,” said LCV Government Affairs Advocate for Climate & Clean Energy Darien Davis. “These investments will ensure that 7.5 million students across the country will have a clean ride to school. As the EPA continues to fund electric buses for our youth and communities to breathe cleaner air, we must ensure these benefits are prioritized to reach the communities of color and communities with low wealth that are most impacted by toxic air pollution.” *** “Communities of color and low-income communities across the country experience higher rates of respiratory and other illness due to exposure to dirty air,” said Chispa National Director Estefany Carrasco-Gonzalez. “This latest announcement from EPA is a great step toward ensuring cleaner, safer, healthier air for all communities, particularly for our children in historically excluded communities who are more than twice as likely to have respiratory diseases like asthma than children living in higher income areas, by helping these communities to replace toxic, diesel school buses with cleaner, electric models. Already, the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program has doubled the number of electric school buses in the country, and we are excited to continue to work with EPA to further an equitable and just transition to electric school buses.” ###

LCV and Chispa Statements on EPA’s Clean School Bus Grant Program Announcement Read More »

Despite Community Concerns with Gas Prices and Pollution, NV Energy Opening a New Gas Peaker Plant

Media Contact: Carolina Chacon | carolina@chaconconsulting.com | 702-810-7155 While the community continues to support a transition to low-cost clean energy, NV Energy doubles down on costly fossil fuels LAS VEGAS – Yesterday, after an expedited process that included little to no community input, NV Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) to build a new methane gas plant received the approval of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN). The 440 MW Silverhawk Peaking Plant will be the first gas plant added by NV Energy since 2014. “We are deeply disappointed in the PUCN’s quick approval of NV Energy’s disastrous proposal to open a new polluting gas plant,” said Estefany Carrasco Gonzalez, Chispa National Director. “This decision will hinder Nevada’s ability to transition to our stated goals of achieving 50% renewable energy by 2030, and it will put consumers on the hook paying for costly new fossil fuel infrastructure that will accelerate the climate crisis. Worse yet, out-of-control gas prices have already hurt our families’ ability to budget for basic living expenses.”  “Just last month, Latinx consumers told the PUCN that they can’t afford to keep up with the rising costs of gas and want to see more investments in low-cost clean and renewable energy,” said Juan Carlos Guardado, Chispa Nevada organizer. “NV Energy doubling down on gas is wrong for our environment and bad for our pocketbooks.” Methane gas, branded as “natural” gas by the fossil fuel industry, releases potent greenhouse gasses that are more powerful and more polluting than carbon dioxide. Peaker plants like this one are disproportionately located near or in low-income communities and communities of color, exposing families to deadly toxins that poison our health and our environment. Methane gas is also imported from out of state, sidelining Nevada’s vast solar and clean energy potential.  “The rushed approval for NV Energy’s IRP reveals a broken planning process that ignores consumer concerns with methane gas and with fossil fuels generally,” continued Carrasco Gonzalez. “We urge the PUCN, NV Energy and other stakeholders to be responsive to our communities and to consider alternative solutions that focus on energy efficiency, reliability and cost-savings, and to account for the environmental and public health consequences of fossil fuels when they plan for and approve new infrastructure.”  ### Chispa Nevada is a program of the League of Conservation Voters that builds the power of Latinx communities to fight for climate justice and our democracy. Visit us at https://chispalcv.org for more information.

Despite Community Concerns with Gas Prices and Pollution, NV Energy Opening a New Gas Peaker Plant Read More »

LCV and CHISPA Applauds EPA Decision to Reaffirm Advanced Clean Truck States’ Authority

For Press Inquiries Nick Abraham nabraham@lcv.org 206-833-7021 States across the country can continue to protect public health from heavy-duty truck pollution Washington, D.C. – Today, the Biden-Harris Environmental Protection Agency reversed another anti-environmental Trump policy and restored waivers for California’s clean truck standards. These standards go beyond national clean truck protections and were first adopted in California but have now been passed in Oregon, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Vermont – covering 20 percent of the medium- and heavy-duty market. In response, League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Chispa issued the following statements: “We are happy to see Administrator Regan make this crucial decision to allow states to further protect public health and tackle climate pollution from trucks,” said LCV Climate and Clean Energy Advocate Darien Davis. “We know diesel tailpipe emissions are a major source of upper respiratory disease, asthma, and cancer and transportation is the nation’s largest source of climate pollution. State leaders across the country are stepping up to protect their communities. This decision reaffirms their rights to use the tools they need to save lives and fight the climate crisis.” “This is a victory for communities across the country who want to breathe cleaner air and live healthier lives,” said Senior Vice President of Community & Civic Engagement Sandra Peréz González. “States like California have led the way to reduce dangerous diesel pollution. There is much more work to do to ensure every community breathes clean air but this ruling allows state and local elected officials the opportunity to step up and lead.”

LCV and CHISPA Applauds EPA Decision to Reaffirm Advanced Clean Truck States’ Authority Read More »

Chispa Nevada and Clean Air Advocates Applaud $10 Million EPA Award for  Clark County School District to Purchase 25 Electric School Buses EPA Clean School Bus Rebates Funding a Clean Ride for Kids In All 50 States

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Today, the U.S. EPA announced that Clark County School District (CCSD)…

Chispa Nevada and Clean Air Advocates Applaud $10 Million EPA Award for  Clark County School District to Purchase 25 Electric School Buses EPA Clean School Bus Rebates Funding a Clean Ride for Kids In All 50 States Read More »

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