South Coast Air Quality Management District

Execute Contract to Purchase Automated Gas Chromatograph System for Speciation and Measurement of Ambient Volatile Organic Compounds

SYNOPSIS: 

On February 16, 2001, the Board approved the release of an RFQ to purchase a gas chromatograph system for the laboratory to analyze VOCs from ambient samples. This action is to execute a contract with Entech Instruments in an amount not to exceed $110,000 for the purchase of a Lab-Based Gas Chromatograph System to analyze ozone precursors in ambient air as part of the PAMS network, as well as toxic compounds. Funds for this purchase are available in the FY 2000-01 Budget.

COMMITTEE: 

Administrative, June 8, 2001, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Procurement Manager to execute a contract with Entech Instruments in an amount not to exceed $110,000 for the purchase of a gas chromatograph system for the PAMS program.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

On February 16, 2001, the AQMD released RFQ #Q2001-12 to competitively select a vendor from which to purchase a gas chromatograph (GC) system for the laboratory. The GC system was approved by the Board when it recognized 8^th year PAMS funding at its October 2000 Board meeting. This item is funded by EPA Section 105 Grant money for the PAMS program. Due to the lack of responsive bids to the initial release, the RFQ was re-issued with modifications on April 18, 2001.

Proposal

This action is to purchase a gas chromatograph system for the speciation and measurement of ambient VOCs for the laboratory from the qualified lowest bidder, Entech Instruments, for an amount not to exceed $110,000. This amount includes the bid price of $102,185 plus applicable taxes and shipping costs. The system will be used to quantify the 56 hydrocarbons on the PAMS reporting list by flame ionization detection. In addition, the Mass Spectrometer will allow the identification of toxic and hazardous air pollutants found in the U.S. EPA compendium methods TO-14 and TO-15. The compounds found in these methods form the core analytes determined in the AQMD’s Environmental Justice and Children’s Air Quality Assessment programs run at various sites in the Basin.

Outreach

In accordance with the AQMD’s consulting and contracting policies, public notices advertising the RFQ and inviting bids were 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

A listing of open RFQs was made available to various legislative caucuses, community groups, trade organizations, chambers of commerce and other interested parties at the time the Notice Inviting Bids/Proposals was submitted for publication. Additionally, potential bidders were 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 and Professional Directory; AQMD’s own electronic listing of certified minority vendors; and AQMD Purchasing’s mailing list. Notice of the RFQ was mailed to the African-American and Latino Legislative Caucuses and various minority chambers of commerce and business associations; and 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

Three quotations and five "No Bids" were received when bidding closed at 2:00 p.m. May 18, 2001. Attachment A summarizes the comparison of the technical evaluation and the cost evaluation of the instruments bid. Although all bids took minor exceptions to the specifications, the evaluation panel determined these would not disqualify the bid from consideration. One bidder met the RFQ criteria as a Small Business Enterprise and was awarded 5 percentage points to their total evaluation. The panel determined that the Automated Gas Chromatograph from Entech Instruments was the best suited to meet the needs of the AQMD.

Evaluation Panel

An evaluation panel was convened to evaluate the three bids according to the criteria described in the RFQ. The panel consisted of one AQMD Air Quality Chemist, one Senior Air Quality Chemist, one Principal Air Quality Chemist and one Chemist from the ARB Southern Laboratory Branch; three Asian/Pacific Islander, and one Hispanic; two female and two male.

Resource Impacts

Sufficient funds are available in the FY 2000-01 Budget under Fixed Asset #22 for the purchase of the GC/MS system.

Attachment

Attachment A - Quotation Evaluation of Gas Chromatograph System for the Speciation & Measurement of Ambient Volatile Organic Compounds, RFQ #Q2001-12

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