South Coast Air Quality Management District

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Execute Contracts to Evaluate Durability of Particulate Matter 
Retrofit Traps on School Buses

SYNOPSIS:

Protecting children from exposure to diesel exhaust is a high priority to the AQMD. Particulate trap technology can be used to reduce diesel emissions from school buses. These technologies need to be further tested and evaluated for durability as part of the school bus program. Pursuant to Chairman Burke’s directive, AQMD and ARB staff have jointly developed a durability test program by accelerated mileage accumulation on two retrofitted school buses. AQMD’s contribution shall not exceed $150,000 for bus acquisition, operation, and fuel costs. ARB will participate by designing a school bus specific driving cycle and protocol, and by making its heavy-duty testing facility available for any required testing.

COMMITTEE:

Technology, August 25, 2000, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Chairman to execute contracts to evaluate the durability of particulate matter retrofit traps on school buses in an amount not to exceed $150,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

Mobile sources are responsible for a large percentage of the region’s emissions inventory. There are approximately 8,600 publicly owned and contracted school buses in the South Coast Air Basin. The majority of these buses are diesel-fueled, with high amounts of exhaust emissions. The AQMD’s Environmental Justice Initiative No. 7 targets the reduction of diesel exhaust, and the "Children’s Air Quality Agenda" adopted by the Governing Board in January 1999, is intended to pursue additional measures to protect children from the unhealthful impacts of diesel emissions.

The use of low-sulfur diesel fuel in combination with recently developed retrofit technologies is one possible method for reducing large amounts of PM emissions from school buses in the near future. However, the durability and long-term performance behavior of these technologies must be evaluated, before they can be implemented on large number of school buses.

Proposal

Pursuant to Board Chairman Burke’s directive, the AQMD and the ARB staff have jointly developed a durability evaluation and testing program by accelerated mileage accumulation on school buses. Specifically, two representative school buses, each retrofitted with a different type of particulate trap technology, will be selected for this program. It is anticipated that these two buses will be selected from the fleets of Los Angeles Unified, and Anaheim Union High School Districts. These two schools are already participating in a program initiated by the AQMD to demonstrate 39 to 45 school buses with a variety of engine and chassis models, retrofitted with two types of particulate trap technologies.

The two selected buses will accumulate accelerated mileage up to a maximum of 50,000 miles, by operating continuously on a representative driving cycle developed by the ARB. The buses will run on low-sulfur fuel with a maximum sulfur content of 15 ppm, and will be monitored for the durability and performance behavior of the particulate traps throughout the program. The buses may be tested on a chassis dynamometer at the ARB’s heavy-duty testing facility.

Several contracts, for a total amount not exceeding $150,000, will be executed under this project. These contracts will be with the Los Angeles and Anaheim School Districts for the depreciation of bus value and other related expenses, with BP Amoco for the purchase of low-sulfur fuel, and possibly with a qualified testing laboratory capable of providing drivers and operational assistance for this program.

Benefits to AQMD

The proposed project is included in the March 2000 update of the Technology Advancement Plan under Project 2000E1-3, "Evaluation of Benefits and Emission Inventory Impact of Advanced Mobile Source Controls." The AQMP relies on the expedited implementation of advanced technologies in Southern California to achieve air quality standards.

The outcome of this project will provide better understanding of the long-term performance and durability of newly developed retrofit technologies on school buses operating on low-sulfur fuel. The results will in turn assist the AQMD in implementing these technologies and crafting future regulations to reduce children’s exposure to the unhealthful impacts of diesel exhaust.

Sole Source Justification

Section VIII.B.2 of the Procurement Policy and Procedure identifies four major provisions under which a sole source award may be justified. This request for a sole source award is made under provision B.2.d.(1): Other circumstances exist which in the determination of the Executive Officer require such a waiver in the best interests of the AQMD, specifically projects involving cost-sharing by multiple sponsors.

Los Angeles Unified and Anaheim Union High School Districts will participate in this program by each making one bus available for the accelerated mileage accumulation. Both school districts are also participants in the larger school bus particulate trap retrofit demonstration program, which makes these fleets uniquely suitable for this project.

ARB staff will provide in-kind cost-share by determining the appropriate vehicle test cycle and providing assistance to the AQMD in managing this demonstration program.

AQMD staff will make a phone survey of the availability and capability of testing labs to provide drivers and operational assistance, and will select the most qualified candidate.

Resource Impacts

AQMD’s funding for this project shall not exceed $150,000. ARB will provide in-kind co-funding, by developing a representative driving cycle, and making its heavy-duty testing facility available for any required testing.

Sufficient funds are available from the Clean Fuels Fund, established as a special revenue fund resulting from the state-mandated Clean Fuels Program. The Clean Fuels Program, under Health and Safety Code Sections 40448.5 and 40512 and Vehicle Code Section 9250.11, establishes mechanisms to collect revenues from mobile sources to support projects to increase the utilization of clean fuels, including the development of the necessary advanced enabling technologies. Funds collected from motor vehicles are restricted, by statute, to be used for projects and program activities related to mobile sources that support the objectives of the Clean Fuels Program.

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