BOARD MEETING DATE: March 13, 1998 AGENDA NO. 44
PROPOSAL:
Approve Transfer of Funds for Emergency Repair of X-ray Diffraction Operating System
SYNOPSIS:
The Laboratory uses an X-ray Diffraction instrument to quantify asbestos in bulk samples, identify crystalline materials in fallout particles and analyze metallic coatings. The existing operating system disk drive failed. Neither the drive nor associated software is supported by the manufacturer any longer. To repair the computer, the Laboratory must purchase a replacement operating system and software. The cost of the replacement operating system and software will not exceed $15,000. This action is to transfer $15,000 from the Services and Supplies Major Object, Maintenance of Equipment Account, to the Fixed Asset Major Object for the emergency repair and purchase of the X-ray Diffraction operating system.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Transfer $15,000 from the Services and Supplies Major Object, Maintenance of Equipment Account, to the Fixed Asset Major Object for the emergency repair and purchase of the X-ray Diffraction operating system.
Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Acting Executive Officer
Background
Many samples submitted to the Laboratory by AQMD inspectors in response to citizen complaints and other enforcement actions require matching of fallout particles with reference samples from possible sources or identification and quantitation of the materials present in the sample. The X-ray Diffraction instrument is used for these types of analyses to resolve the citizens’ complaints or to support the notices of violations. More specifically, X-ray Diffraction is used to conduct the following types of analyses: matching of unknown fallout samples with source reference samples, identification of unknown crystalline materials, identification and quantitation by weight of asbestos in bulk building materials, and percent elemental metal in metallic coatings.
The disk drive on the X-ray Diffraction computer system failed making operation of the $150,000 X-ray Diffraction instrument impossible. The existing hardware and software are no longer supported by the manufacturer and new software requires upgraded operating system capability. The emergency repair through the acquisition of the upgrade and new software will reinstate the laboratory’s capabilities of analyzing coatings, fallout samples and asbestos materials by X-ray diffraction.
Proposal
Transfer $15,000 from the Services and Supplies Major Object, Maintenance of Equipment Account, to the Fixed Asset Major Object and approve the emergency repair and purchase of the X-ray Diffraction operating system, consisting of software, computer and disk drive compatible with software requirements, system integration and installation.
Resource Impacts
The total costs of the replacement X-ray Diffraction operating system and software are not to exceed $15,000. Normally, the AQMD’s Unbudgeted Fixed Asset Account covers such emergencies, but there are insufficient remaining funds in that account to provide for the needed upgrades/repairs. Sufficient funds are included in the FY 1997-98 Budget, Services and Supplies Major Object, Maintenance of Equipment Account, for transfer to the Fixed Asset Major Object.
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