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PROPOSAL:

Recognize and Appropriate Funds from U.S. EPA to Implement Local Program for 1998 Earth Day National Town Meeting

SYNOPSIS:

The U.S. EPA has committed $15,000 to develop and implement an event to coincide with Renew America’s 1998 Earth Day Global Warming Event. They have proposed that their contribution to this event be administered by the AQMD. This action is to appropriate a $15,000 supplement to the AQMD FY 1997-98 Budget from a U.S. EPA Grant. The funds are to be used to administer a local program in the South Coast Basin for a "Global Warming: Local Solutions" National Town Meeting on April 22, 1998

COMMITTEE:

Administrative, March 20, 1998, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Recognize $15,000 in revenue from the U.S. EPA and appropriate $15,000 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to the Office of Public Affairs and Local Government Assistance Services and Supplies Major Object Professional and Special Services Account.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Acting Executive Officer

Background

The Southern California Gas Company’s Energy Resource Center (ERC) has been a sponsor of the Renew America Teleconference for the past three years and has served as a downlink site to the event. This year, in addition to providing a teleconference downlink, the ERC will co-host a symposium with the U.S. EPA and the AQMD. The theme of this year’s national teleconference is "Global Warming: Local Solutions." The symposium will feature a keynote address and a local panel of environmental leaders and public officials discussing local actions and incentives to reduce global warming emissions. The event will be held on Wednesday, April 22, 1998, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

For the 1998 Earth Day National Teleconference and Symposium, the sponsors have retained Gladstein & Associates to assist in organizing and executing the event.

AQMD Responsibility

The U.S. EPA has requested that the AQMD be a non-paying co-sponsor of the event, which requires that AQMD agree to permit the save-the-date, the invitation, and any conference materials include the name and logo of the agency. In addition, organizers would provide or mail invitations to any lists which the AQMD would like.

Benefits

The U.S. EPA views this event as the first in a series which the agency intends to hold to educate constituents regarding possible policy impacts of the nation’s involvement in the recent Kyoto Accords on Global Climate Change. U.S. EPA is still in the process of determining the scope of their involvement in these activities, but believes that participation in this event will help crystallize their thinking on how to proceed with the global warming outreach effort.

Resource Impacts

Both Southern California Gas Company and the U.S. EPA have committed $15,000 each for the execution of this event. Because EPA is limited to grant funding in support of this event they have proposed that their contribution to this event be administered by the AQMD.

This action is to recognize $15,000 in revenue from the U.S. EPA and appropriate $15,000 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to the Office of Public Affairs and Local Government Assistance Services and Supplies Major Object Budget in the Professional and Special Services Account.

This constitutes a supplement to the FY 1997-98 Budget. Therefore, the required 30-day public notice of a proposed supplement to the FY 1997-98 Budget was published in the Los Angeles Daily Journal, San Bernardino Sun Telegram, Riverside Press Enterprise, Santa Ana Register and Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

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