RALEIGH — North Carolina is receiving around $92 million as part of the settlement between Volkswagen and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency related to allegations against the company for cheating on vehicle emissions. The money will help districts in the state replace older school buses with “new, more environmentally friendly models.”
The N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCPDI) announced that the North Carolina Clean School Bus program will purchase 103 low- or zero-emission buses powered by propane, electric or diesel fuels. The program has been funded with $11.2 million from the almost $30 million in the first phase of the settlement awards.
“This award allows DPI and school districts across North Carolina to continue to modernize the existing fleet while also allowing the assessment of how new technologies will fit into the school bus fleet of the future,” state Superintendent Mark Johnson said in a statement.
Volkswagen accepted a $14.9 billion penalty as part of a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. The dollar figure allotted is based on the number of certain types of affected diesel engine vehicles in the given state.
Five school districts and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will also have school bus replacement projects funded.
