LAWRENCE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Lawrence Public Schools (LPS) has a new fleet of electric school buses to replace the old diesel fleet.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program funded the purchase of 25 electric buses, and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center helped fund 10 minibuses. According to LPS, the 25 buses alone are projected to reduce carbon emissions by 1.35 million pounds each year.
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At a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Methuen on Monday morning, LPS Superintendent Ralph Carrero was happy to see the shift to environmentally friendly buses officially complete.
“Not only do we care about our kids' safety, we care about their health, and we care about the environment,” said Carrero. “When you have buses all over the city simultaneously stopping and diesel’s going up, you smell it everywhere around. Clean energy is right up front in Lawrence when it comes to replacing diesel buses now with electric buses.”
Carmen Torivio has been a bus driver for LPS for 18 years, and said she loved everything about the bus. In addition to a smoother drive and a quieter engine, she has experienced health benefits right away.
“I’m asthmatic, and the diesel, the fumes, it would take my breath away,” said Torivio.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports.