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PROPOSAL:

Recognize Revenues from ARB and Amend Contract for PAMS Data Analysis with Sonoma Technology Incorporated

SYNOPSIS: 

For the U.S. EPA Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Station (PAMS) data analysis objectives, the AQMD contracted with Sonoma Technology Inc. (STI) to evaluate aerometric data from the 1997 Southern California Air Quality Study (SCOS97) and provide quality assurance of selected upper air wind and temperature data. ARB has requested that AQMD extend the STI contract and expand the scope of the analysis to include all days monitored during the SCOS97 summer field program. Funding for this item will be provided by ARB. Staff recommends that $128,806 in revenues from ARB be appropriated to the FY 1999-00 Budget and that the Board amend the contract with STI for the expanded scope of work.

COMMITTEE: 

Administrative, October 15, 1999, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Chairman to:

1. Recognize $128,806 of revenues from ARB;

2. Appropriate $128,806 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to the Professional and Special Services account in Planning, Rule Development & Area Sources; and

3. Amend the contract with Sonoma Technology Inc. to provide additional quality assurance services for the Southern California Air Quality Study data at a total cost not to exceed $128,806.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

At its October 1997 meeting, the Board authorized the Chairman to execute a contract with Sonoma Technology Inc. (STI) to perform data analysis of the Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations (PAMS) network data and the 1997 Southern California Ozone Study (SCOS97) field measurement data. The AQMD has been operating several PAMS monitoring stations since 1993 and has collected a large amount of air quality, ozone precursors (speciated VOCs and NOx), and surface and upper air meteorological data, as required under the federal Clean Air Act. These data are necessary for developing air quality and meteorological inputs for air quality models used in preparing the AQMP. As part of the PAMS program, U.S. EPA has annually allocated grant funding for data analysis and independent quality assurance of the routinely monitored air quality and meteorological data.

During the summer and early fall of 1997, ARB and U.S. EPA, in cooperation with local air districts in southern California and other interested parties, conducted the SCOS97 field monitoring program. The PAMS program was an integral component of SCOS97. The expanded schedule of field measurements conducted during SCOS97 and the addition of PAMS sites, (both surface and upper air), significantly increased the acquisition of field data requiring analysis. AQMD requested and received authorization from the U.S. EPA to use PAMS funds to expand the scope of the PAMS data analysis to jointly assess the routinely monitored data and the data acquired during selected SCOS97 intensive episodes. The contract with STI was primarily designed to assist the AQMD to meet this task.

While the work conducted by STI to date has met the primary goals outlined in the scope of work for the contract (#98043), the ARB and AQMD have recognized that additional analysis needs to be conducted on the upper air meteorological data. The focus of this analysis is on the data monitored on non-intensive monitoring days. ARB has requested the AQMD to extend the period and scope of the STI contract to provide the needed data analysis. The proposed cost of the additional analysis is $128,806 and the ARB has agreed to fund the analysis.

Proposal

Staff is recommending that the Board authorize the Chairman to recognized $128,806 in revenues from ARB and appropriate $128,806 from the FY 1999-2000 Undesignated Fund Balance to the Planning, Rule Development and Area Sources’s Professional and Special Services. Furthermore, staff is requesting the Board execute an amendment to the current STI contract (#98043) to expand the scope of work and duration of the contract to provide the requested additional data analysis and quality assurance service to fully analyze the SCOS97 meteorological data. The total cost of the proposed project is not to exceed $128,806.

Sole Source Justification

Section VIII(B) of the Procurement Policy Procedure identifies four major provisions under which a sole source award may be justified. This request for sole source award is made under provision B.2.d(6): Other circumstances exist which in the determination of the Executive Officer require such waiver in the best interests of the AQMD; specifically, B.2.d(6) projects involving cost sharing by multiple sponsors, time extension of an existing contract and projects involving a commitment to multiple project phases.

The contract extension will be with STI for the purpose of conducting quality assurance of radar wind profiler, radio acoustic sounding and SODAR data from SCOS97, at the request of ARB.

Resource Impacts

The AQMD will incur minor administrative costs as a result of this project extension. The revenues recognized from ARB will be passed through to the FY 1999-00 Planning, Rule Development and Area Sources Budget to fund the contract.

Attachment

Resolution 99-26 adopted by the Air Resources Board on June 24, 1999

Air Resources Board
Resolution 99-26
June 24, 1999

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