N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law § 56-0605: Clean-fueled buses projects

§ 56-0605. Clean-fueled buses projects.

1. The New York state energy research and development authority in

cooperation with the department of transportation is authorized to make

state assistance payments to "clean-fueled buses projects".

2. For the purposes of this section, the term "clean-fueled bus" shall

mean any motor vehicle having a seating capacity of fifteen or more

passengers in addition to the driver and used for the transportation of

persons on public highways, that is fueled by compressed natural gas,

propane, methanol, hydrogen, biodiesel or ethanol, or uses electricity,

including electricity generated from solar energy, either stored or

generated on-board, as its primary motive force. For the purposes of

this section, the term "diesel-fueled school bus retrofit equipment"

shall mean equipment and/or technologies, including, but not limited to,

particulate traps or filters and catalytic converters that reduce

emissions of particulate matter, hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen,

carbon monoxide, or toxic air pollutants.

3. Any municipality, state agency or department, state public

authority, or school district upon the approval of its governing body,

may submit an application to the authority, in such a form and

containing such information as the authority may require, for state

assistance payments toward the cost of acquisition of clean-fueled

buses, purchase and installation of diesel-fueled school bus retrofit

equipment on diesel-fueled school buses and for installation of

infrastructure, including depot construction directly associated with

such acquisitions. The authority shall suballocate to the department

such funds as are necessary for the development of a single facility to

evaluate heavy duty vehicle emissions.

4. The authority shall review such application, and may approve,

disapprove or recommend modifications thereto consistent with applicable

law, criteria, standards or rules and regulations relative to such

application. Reasons for disapproval shall be provided to the applicant

in writing.

5. After approval of the application, the authority and the

municipality, state agency or department, state public authority, or

school district shall enter into a contract for state assistance

payments towards the cost of such project which shall include the

following provisions:

(a) A current estimate of the cost of the project as determined by the

authority at the time of the execution of the contract;

(b) An agreement by the authority to make state assistance payments

towards the cost of the project; and

(c) An agreement by the municipality, state agency or department,

state public authority, or school district to proceed expeditiously with

the project and to complete the project in accordance with plans

approved by the authority and provide reports as required by the

authority.