Back

PROPOSAL:

Recognize Revenue from Settlement Agreements, Appropriate Funds from General Fund, and Reallocate Funds in the FY 1997-98 Budget for Environmental Justice Initiative No. 2

SYNOPSIS:

For the implementation of Environmental Justice Initiative No. 2, Ambient Monitoring of Air Toxics, AQMD needs to supplement existing monitoring and laboratory resources with temporary staff and to purchase a third mobile platform to meet objectives of the Microscale Study. This action is to recognize $110,000 in revenue from settlement agreements for use to supplement environmental projects and appropriate this $110,000 along with a reallocation of previously authorized funding in the FY 1997-98 Budget to fund a third mobile platform, monitoring equipment and staff support.

COMMITTEE:

Administrative and Stationary Source, January 23, 1998, Re-commended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

1. Recognize a total of $110,000 in revenues from settlement agreements, as follows: Texaco Refining and Marketing, Inc. for $60,000 and Mobil Oil Corporation for $50,000.

2. Appropriate $110,000 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to Applied Science and Technology’s Services and Supplies Major Object, Temporary Services Account in the FY 1997-98 Budget.

3. Reallocate funds to support a third mobile platform, as itemized in Attachment A.

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

Background

On December 12, 1997, as part of Environmental Justice Initiative No. 2, Ambient Monitoring of Air Toxics, the Board approved the development of workplans for the Multiple Air Toxics Exposure Study II (MATES II) and a Microscale Study. To support the monitoring and analyses of the workplans, the Board approved certain resource requirements, including $400,000 from the Equipment Replacement Designation in the General Fund. As previously presented to the Board, staff has also proposed that temporary resources be utilized, in part, to support the field and laboratory efforts. Excluding support for a third mobile platform, as discussed below, costs for the temporary staff are $200,000, of which $110,000 has been identified from two penalty settlements, and the remainder from redirected funds in the FY 1997-98 Budget.

Revenues from the recent settlement agreements have not previously been recognized by the Board as part of the FY 1997-98 Budget. These include $60,000 from Texaco Refining and Marketing Inc. and $50,000 from Mobil Oil Corporation. All parties to the settlement agreements confirm that use of the funds to support the monitoring portion of Environmental Justice Initiative No. 2 is appropriate.

Further, in developing the program for the Microscale Study portion of Environmental Justice Initiative No. 2, a third mobile platform with necessary monitoring equipment is needed to meet the objectives of the program. This additional platform will allow for greater "microscale" toxics determinations, and will further allow for greater coverage of mobile platforms across the Basin. Due to less-than-expected costs for the needed toxics monitoring equipment and equipment relocation by ARB to meet site objectives, sufficient funding is now available to support a third mobile platform, equipment, and staffing provided that the Board reallocate the funds as detailed in Attachment A.

Proposal

Staff recommends that the Board recognize revenue of $110,000 from settlement agreements; appropriate $110,000 to the FY 1997-98 Budget for use of temporary staff; and reallocate $400,000 previously authorized by the Board to now include a third mobile platform for the Microscale Study.

Resource Impacts

A total of $250,000 is needed for temporary staff for the Environmental Justice No. 2, to include support for a third mobile platform, with $110,000 from the settlement agreements with Texaco Refining and Marketing Inc. and Mobil Oil Corporation; $50,000 from the reallocation of previously authorized funds; and $90,000 to be redirected from Technology Advancement Office health impact findings, as detailed to the Board as part of its October 1997 approval of the Environmental Justice Initiatives. The remaining $350,000 of previously approved funding, when reallocated, will fully support the needed equipment, including a third mobile platform.

Since the receipt of funds by the AQMD and the appropriation of funds by the Board constitute budget supplements within the definition of Health and Safety Code 40720(j), public notice of these proposed supplements was published in the Los Angeles Daily Journal, Riverside Press Enterprise, Orange County Register, San Bernardino Sun, and the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

Attachments

Attachment A - Itemization of Funds to be Reallocated to Support a Third Mobile Platform

/ / /