Two Utah school districts receive $350k in EPA funding to reduce diesel emissions from school buses
EPA Rebates Will Fund Cleaner School Buses in 88 Communities
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today awarded more than $7.7 million to replace or retrofit 401 older diesel school buses. The funds are going to 88 school bus fleets in 27 states, each of which will receive rebates through EPA's Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funding. The new and retrofitted buses will reduce pollutants that are linked to health problems such as asthma and lung damage.
Washington County School District in St. George and Weber School district in West Haven, Utah received $250,000 and $100,000 respectively to replace 15 older school buses, thereby reducing overall diesel emissions.
“Thanks to DERA funding, we are protecting our children from breathing diesel emissions as they travel to school,” said Christopher Grundler, director of EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality. “Nearly 17,000 of our country's schools are located within steps of a heavily traveled road, potentially exposing more than six million children to traffic-related pollution at a time when their developing lungs are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution.”
Applicants replacing buses with engine model years of 2006 and older will receive rebates between $15,000 and $25,000, depending on the size of the bus. Applicants also had the option of retrofitting school buses with engine model years between 1994 to 2006 with a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst plus Closed Crankcase Ventilation system (DOC plus CCV) to reduce toxic emissions. EPA will fully fund the cost of these devices up to $4,000.
EPA has implemented standards to make newer diesel engines more than 90 percent cleaner, but many older diesel school buses are still operating. These older diesel engines emit large amounts of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which are linked to instances of aggravated asthma, lung damage and other serious health problems.
For more information about this rebate program, visit http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/clean-diesel-rebates
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Sessions Lashes Out at MoveOn and NAACP After More Than 180,000 People Sign Petition Overnight Opposing His Nomination Due to His Long Racist Record
MoveOn Petition Was Circulated by Alabama NAACP President Benard Simelton, Who Was Arrested in Civil Disobedience at Sessions’ Office Tuesday
MoveOn Also Released New Video Featuring Leading Racial Justice, LGBTQ, and Immigrants’ Rights Advocates Opposing Sessions
After a MoveOn.org petition by Alabama NAACP President Benard Simelton opposing the Jeff Sessions attorney general nomination because of Sessions' track record of racism gathered more than 180,000 signatures overnight, a Sessions spokesperson lashed out in response this morning, but failed to address the substance of the concerns.
The petition notes that Sessions is a "known racist with a long record of opposing civil rights and equality," arguing "it is unimaginable that he could be entrusted to serve as the nation’s top law enforcement official."
Sessions spokesperson Sarah Isgur Flores responded by claiming to the Washington Examiner that the petition was a "false smear," but failed to rebut the substance of concerns about Sessions' long track record of opposing civil rights protections. Then, in a bizarre series of tweets, Flores asserted that opposition to Sessions is a "fundraising gimmick," rather than acknowledging the truth that Sessions has a long history of opposing civil rights.
"As much as his team might try to distract the American public, Jeff Sessions can’t run or hide from his racist comments and votes. There is a reason more than 180,000 Americans have signed this petition calling for Sessions' rejection in less than 24 hours, and it is the same reason the Senate rejected his nomination to the federal judiciary decades ago—Sessions' track record of racism and the fact that he has been an avid opponent of civil rights and human rights mean he is an unqualified nominee," said MoveOn.org Campaign Director Jamiah Adams. "It's no surprise that Sessions' team is desperate to draw attention from his indefensible record by making baseless attacks on the civil rights groups that universally oppose his nomination. If Sessions is actually forced to address his long and disturbing history of opposition to civil rights, it will become clear that he should not be confirmed."
To underscore the substance of concerns across the civil rights community about the Sessions nomination, MoveOn today released a new video featuring leading racial justice, LGBTQ, and immigrants' rights advocates addressing his record.
Watch the new MoveOn video
on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moveon/videos/vl.1512329548851478/10154040793805493/?type=1
on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MoveOn/status/817079206689599488
on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jv-vfhHrCgs
"Instead of lashing out at and trying to smear the committed Americans with legitimate and profound concerns about his nomination, Sessions should acknowledge that his track record of opposition to civil rights makes him unfit to be attorney general and withdraw his nomination," Adams said. “And if Sessions is concerned about ‘gimmicks,’ perhaps he should start with his false attempt to claim credit for civil rights work he barely had anything to do with in an attempt to obfuscate his dismal record on civil rights.”
View the petition here: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/stop-jeff-sessions
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GLSEN Releases State Snapshots from Most Recent National School Climate Survey on U.S. Middle and High Schools
What: State-level data from the latest edition of GLSEN’s National School Climate Survey, the definitive study of the middle and high school experiences of LGBTQ youth across the country. The report includes information about LGBTQ students' experiences with hearing anti-LGBT remarks, verbal and physical harassment, discriminatory policies and practices and lack of access to in-school supports and resources.
Data is available for 30 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
When: Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Who: Experts from GLSEN’s staff, local chapter network and National Student Council are available for interviews.
About GLSEN
GLSEN champions safe and affirming schools for all students. We envision a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. Each year, GLSEN programs and resources reach tens of thousands of K-12 schools across the United States, and our network of chapters brings GLSEN’s expertise to their local communities. GLSEN's progress and impact have won support for our work at all levels of education in the United States and sparked an international movement to ensure equality for LGBTQ students and respect for all in schools. For more information on GLSEN’s policy advocacy, student leadership initiatives, public education, research and educator training programs, please visit glsen.org.
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United Way Presents Public Policy Agenda for 2017 at Legislative Preview Breakfast
Salt Lake City – Education continues to be one of the TOP POLICY CONCERNS for Utah. We know we must do more to ensure Utah kids reach their potential. As our state continues to grow and become more diverse, it is essential that we take action NOW to improve our future. Join us for an in-depth panel discussion, moderated by Nadine Wimmer of KSL News, on how education will be addressed during the 2017 Session.
Location: Hilton Salt Lake Center
255 South West Temple, Salt Lake City
Date: Thursday, January 12, 2017
Time: 7:30 a.m. Registration
8 – 9:30 a.m. Program and Education Panel Discussion
Panelists Include:
· Dr. Sydnee Dickson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
· Speaker Greg Hughes, State of Utah
· Nolan Karras, Co-Chair, Education First
· Representative Carol Spackman Moss, State of Utah
· President Wayne Niederhauser, State of Utah
For United Way’s full public policy agenda, go to uw.org/advocate.
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United Way is working to create long-term change by harnessing the power of nonprofits, government, corporations, and thousands of individuals to work together and solve the most difficult problems we face as a community. You can be a part of the change and advocate to put #UtahKidsFirst this legislative session. Learn more at uw.org/advocate.
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DENVER—The U.S. House of Representatives is voting on a “rules package” for the 115th Congress. In an unprecedented maneuver, the bill includes an amendment that paves the way for Congress to give away or sell off American public land and energy resources.
The amendment in question, which was written by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop, claims any legislation passed to dispose of publicly-owned land, oil, gas, or other mineral resources would be considered budget neutral.
The Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Executive Director Jennifer Rokala:
“Less than one day in and Congressional Republicans are already greasing the skids to give away or sell off America’s public lands, forests, and wildlife refuges. What’s worse, politicians are using smoke and mirrors to hide the cost of stealing away our public lands, while ripping off American taxpayers in the process.
“President-elect Donald Trump and his nominee to run the Interior Department, Montana Representative Ryan Zinke, have disavowed attempts to seize our public lands. This is their first chance to show how serious they are by standing up to attacks on our parks and public lands in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
Revenues generated from U.S. public lands benefit all Americans—for example, oil and gas production on U.S. public lands is one of the largest non-tax sources of revenue for the U.S. Treasury. Some politicians, including Representative Bishop, want to liquidate American public lands. This rule change aims to give Rep. Bishop and other anti-park politicians cover to do so without answering to the American taxpayers who stand to lose from their policies.
For more information, visit westernpriorities.org. To speak with an expert on public lands, contact Aaron Weiss at 720-279-0019 or aaron@westernpriorities.org.
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The Center for Western Priorities is a conservation policy and advocacy organization focused on land and energy issues across the American West.
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