South Coast Air Quality Management District

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Issue RFP for Privatization of Portions of the Annual Emissions Report Program

SYNOPSIS:

For the past five years, the AQMD has privatized portions of the Annual Emissions Report (AER) Program to enhance the overall program efficiency, improve services to facilities, and improve data quality and processing. Beginning with the 2000-2001 reporting cycle, the AER Program will also incorporate the toxics emissions reporting requirements of the Air Toxics "Hot Spots" (AB2588) Program to further streamline the reporting process. This action is to release an RFP to identify qualified contractor(s) to assist staff in privatizing portions of the emission reporting programs and to implement toxic and criteria pollutant inventories integration. Subject to funding availability and Board approval, the contract is renewable up to four years. The total funding for this project shall not exceed $400,000 in FY 2000-01.

COMMITTEE:

Administrative, September 8, 2000. Committee Members who were present communicated their concurrence.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

1. Approve the transfer of $125,000 from the Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Fund to the General Fund.
   
   
2. Recognize $125,000 of revenue in the General Fund and appropriate $125,000 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to the Planning, Rule Development, and Area Sources’ Professional and Special Services Account.
   
   
3. Approve the release of the attached RFP for privatization of portions of the Annual Emissions Report Program in an amount not to exceed $400,000.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

Under AQMD’s Annual Emissions Report (AER) Program, facilities annually report their emissions and pay emission-based fees in accordance with Rule 301(e) requirements. Privatization of portions of the AER Program in the past five years has significantly enhanced the overall program efficiency, improved services to facilities as well as data quality and enabled AQMD staff to more effectively conduct engineering audit of the annual emission reports and provide support for other AQMD programs. Portions of the AER Program that have been privatized include: 1) revision of emission and fee reporting forms and instructions, 2) providing software and paper forms reporting options, 3) preparing and distributing emissions reporting packages to facilities subject to the program, 4) providing public outreach and assistance in filing the annual emission reports, 5) receiving the reports and compilation of emissions and fee data files, 6) conducting data quality control, and 7) transferring data files to the District for inclusion in the District’s central database. Actual collection of annual emission fees, billing adjustments, and auditing the reported data continues to be handled by AQMD staff.

Beginning with the 2000-2001 AER Program, staff also proposes to consolidate the emissions data reporting requirements of the existing AER Program with the toxic emissions reporting requirements of the Air Toxics "Hot Spots" (AB2588) Program. Facilities subject to the AB2588 Program are required to report their toxics emissions on a quadrennial basis to the District. Consolidation of the reporting of criteria and toxics air pollutants, currently implemented separately under the AER and AB2588 Programs, into one program will have the benefit of streamlining the reporting process, improving toxics emissions data quality and minimizing the required resources by both facilities and the AQMD.

Proposal

This RFP is to competitively solicit proposals from qualified firms to continue the privatization of the Annual Emission Report Program which would also implement the AB2588 Program’s toxics emissions reporting requirements. The contractor selected will be required to implement, at minimum, the specific tasks outlined in the attached RFP.

Outreach

In accordance with the AQMD’s consulting and contracting policies, a public notice advertising the RFP and inviting bids will be published in the following publications:

1.	Antelope Valley Press	10.	La Opinion	19.	Precinct Reporter
2.	Black Voice News	11.	La Voz	20.	Rafu Shimpo
3.	Chinese Daily News	12.	Los Angeles Daily News	21.	Riverside Press Enterprise
4.	Eastern Group Publications	13.	Los Angeles Sentinel	22.	San Bernardino Sun
5.	El Chicano	14.	Los Angeles Times	23.	Santa Clarita Signal
6.	Excelsior, The	15.	M/W/DVBE Source	24.	State of California Contracts
7.	Inland Empire Hispanic News	16.	Orange County Register		Register
8.	Inland Valley Daily Bulletin	17.	Palm Springs Desert Sun
9.	Korea Central Daily	18.	Philippine News

Additionally, potential bidders will be identified using the Los Angeles County MTA Directory of Certified Minority, Women, Disadvantaged and Disabled Veterans Business Enterprises; the Inland Area Opportunity Pages Ethnic/Women Business & Professional Directory; AQMD’s own electronic listing of certified minority vendors; and AQMD Purchasing’s mailing list. Notice of the RFP will be mailed to the Black and Latino Legislative Caucuses and various minority chambers of commerce and business associations and will be placed on the Internet at AQMD’s Web site [http://www.aqmd.gov, "Business and Job Opportunities" icon] and AQMD’s 24-hour telephone message line for bidders (909) 396-2724.

Bid Evaluation

Proposals received will be evaluated by a diverse and technically qualified panel in accordance with criteria contained in the attached RFP.

Benefits to AQMD

In addition to enhancing the AER Program’s overall efficiency, one of the major benefits of privatization of portions of the AER Program has been the development of the emissions reporting software which has been utilized by over 65% of the facilities in lieu of using the traditional paper forms. The reporting software has automated the calculation and reporting of emissions, reduced potential reporting errors, improved data quality, and saved both the facilities and the AQMD staff time and resources in filing and processing the annual emission reports. The privatization of this Program has also enabled AQMD staff to more effectively respond to facilities and conduct more detailed engineering audit of the reports. Specifically, as a result of AQMD staff's audit of the annual emissions/fees for the last two years, approximately $4 million in additional revenues have been generated and almost $900,000 in refunds have been issued to facilities. Consequently, the net revenues generated are well in excess of the amount allocated for this contract.

Resource Impacts

The total funding for the work contemplated by this RFP will be a maximum of $400,000 for the base year with an option to renew the contract for three additional years for an estimated amount not to exceed $400,000 per year. The District reserves the right to renegotiate the contract amounts for the option years based upon changed requirements and/or approved funds. Funding of $275,000 has been budgeted for privatization of portions of the AER Program in the approved FY 2000-01 Budget.

The balance of the funding ($125,000) will be transferred from the Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Fund to the General Fund. Since receipt of these funds by the AQMD constitutes a budget supplement within the meaning of the Health and Safety Code Section 40720(j), notice of this proposed supplement was published in Los Angeles Daily Journal, Santa Ana Register, Riverside Press Enterprise, San Bernardino Sun Telegram, and Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

Attachment

RFP# P2001-14 – Privatization of Portions of the Annual Emissions Report Program

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