August 11, 1995

South Coast Air Quality

Management District Board

The PM10 Technical Enhancement Program (PTEP), which the District Governing Board approved in December 1994 to establish the foundation for the PM10 State Implementation Plan (SIP), includes a series of projects designed to improve ambient databases, emission inventories, and air quality modeling for PM10 (particulate matter 10 microns or less in diameter). One critical emissions inventory enhancement project is to improve the ammonia emissions inventory from dairy feed lots. Ammonia (as well as oxides of nitrogen) emissions are precursors to nitrate, which comprises the dominant fraction of secondary particles in the South Coast Air Basin (Basin). Field testing is needed to determine actual baseline emissions from various livestock waste storage areas at dairy farms within the Basin. Improving the ammonia emissions inventory from livestock waste at dairy feed lots is critical for the development of the 1997 PM10 SIP and will improve modeling results and control measure evaluations. This information will be used, in part, to determine whether the focus of potential control efforts should be directed at particular livestock waste storage areas that have the highest emission potential.

To meet the preparation schedule for the 1997 PM10 SIP, emissions testing at Basin dairy farms must be conducted in the late summer/early fall and early winter of 1995. This is necessary to develop a representative inventory accounting for important seasonal variabilities. Due to these time constraints and the special expertise required, an initial sole-source contract for $20,000 was awarded to Dr. C.E. Schmidt to develop a testing protocol and a field study work plan to determine actual baseline emissions from various livestock waste storage areas. Dr. Schmidt is recognized nationally as one of the preeminent experts in the sampling and measurement of air emissions from area and fugitive emission sources. He is especially qualified in that he recently conducted a similar emissions sampling and monitoring study for EPA using an Emission Isolation Flux Chamber, which he helped design, to estimate VOC emissions from livestock waste. The second phase of the project is to conduct the field study and to develop the improved emission factors.

As in the case for the initial work plan, a sole-source amendment is requested because of the special expertise of the consultant, and because of the critical time constraints needed for input to the 1997 PM10 SIP. With regard to the latter, seasonal field sampling must begin not later than late September to meet PM10 SIP input needs, and therefore, a sole-source contract is in the best interests of the District. The second phase will not begin until the field study work plan is completed and approved by District staff. Staff recommends that the sole-source contract be amended for an additional $80,000, for a total project cost of $100,000. Funding is included in Planning and Policy's FY 1995-96 Budget under the Professional and Special Services account.

This project is one of the PTEP projects and was accepted as a sole-source effort by the PM10 Task Force at its July 7, 1995 meeting. This item was reviewed and approved by the Administrative Committee on July 21, 1995.

THEREFORE IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOUR BOARD

--Authorize the chairman to amend the District's contract with
Dr. C.E. Schmidt, for a total contract amount not to exceed $100,000.

Respectfully,

James M. Lents, Ph.D.

Executive Officer

BRW:JPB:MZ:JCL

(jcl ptep1:brdltr.doc)