South Coast Air Quality Management District

Approve Amendments and Re-issuance of Program Announcement & Application #PA2001-02, for FY 2000-01 Lower-Emission School Bus Replacement and Retrofit Program Funding.

SYNOPSIS:

The AQMD Program Announcement & Application PA2001-02 "Lower-Emission School Bus Replacement & Retrofit Program," was issued on February 16, 2001. Forty-six public school districts and one joint power authority submitted applications for the school bus replacement component of the program by the due date of April 3, 2001. In response to the Boards decision at its May 4, 2001, Special Meeting, staff proposes to amend the selection methodology of replacement buses. Staff also proposes to re-open the application period from May 11, 2001 to May 29, 2001, to give further opportunity to school districts that were unable to submit completed applications on time. The Board will consider the approval of the school bus replacement awards at its June 15, 2001 meeting.

COMMITTEE:

Special Board Meeting, May 4, 2001, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Approve amendments and re-issuance of Program Announcement & Application #PA2001-02, for FY 2000-01 Lower-Emission School Bus Replacement and Retrofit Program in the South Coast Air Basin to improve air quality and reduce environmental justice impacts.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

Exhaust emissions from high emitting diesel-fueled school buses are harmful to children and are a key source of public exposure to toxic diesel particulate matter and smog forming pollutants. There are thousands of older school buses on the road that have remained in service simply because school districts lack funds to replace them. To reduce emissions from these vehicles, the State of California has provided $16.6 million for the replacement of pre-1987 school buses and the AQMD has provided $1.66 million matching funds from the Clean Fuels Program Fund. The AQMD issued its Program Announcement & Application for implementation of the Lower-Emission School Bus Replacement & Retrofit Program on February 16, 2001, per the state guidelines. The school bus replacement component of this program provides grants to public school districts and joint power authorities to replace older buses with new alternative fuel and/or low emitting diesel buses. The application submittal due date was April 3, 2001, and a total of forty-seven applications from forty-six public school districts and one joint power authority were received. The total number of requests for compressed natural gas (CNG) buses and low-emitting diesel buses are 454 and 440 respectively.

On April 20, 2001, the AQMD Board adopted Rule 1195 and directed staff, in its adoption resolution, to develop a quantitative scoring process which results in a ranking, consistent with state and other legal requirements, as an alternative to a random lottery for grant funding for school buses and alternative-fuel refueling infrastructure. Such a ranking mechanism shall place a priority on school districts desiring school buses of their choice provided under such programs and shall consider the severity of the air quality problem in their community, community income level, feasibility of refueling infrastructure development, number of buses requested and/or other appropriate factors. However, the original Program Announcement & Application was developed according to the state guidelines that requires a lottery and the funding be awarded through a non-competitive process. The State Air Resources Board (ARB) was contacted on this matter and has indicated its approval of the revision of AQMD's Program Announcement & Application recommended here which incorporated the Board's directions as specified in the Rule 1195 adoption resolution. The revised Program Announcement & Application, if approved by the Board, has to be reissued. ARB has communicated its approval of the extension of dates of application submittal and award of funds as recommended by the staff.

Proposal

It is proposed to re-issue the Program Announcement & Application #PA2001-02, for the "Lower-Emission School Bus Replacement & Retrofit Program" from May 11, 2001, to May 29, 2001. This will give further opportunity to school districts that were unable to meet the original due date of April 3, 2001, to complete and submit their applications for the school bus replacement component of the program. The following amendments are proposed to the original program announcement and application:

• Based on the requirements of Rule 1195 and all the related resolutions adopted
  by the Board at its April 20, 2001 meeting, award the school bus replacement
  and infrastructure funds by a point ranking methodology by taking areas of non-attainment, socioeconomic conditions, and other relevant factors into consideration. The ranking system and the parameters considered in this methodology for selection of CNG and low-emitting diesel school buses are outlined in Attachments 1 and 2 respectively.
  
  
• Distribute the low-emitting diesel and CNG school bus replacement and infrastructure funds proportional to each county’s general population in the Basin.
  
  
• Limit the Los Angeles Unified School District’s funding eligibility to a maximum of fifty percent of the total funds to be allocated for Los Angeles County.
  
  
• Award one CNG bus to all those school districts with submitted applications for CNG buses that already own and operate CNG school buses in their existing fleet.
  
  
• Because of the special $3 million funding for school bus replacement under the AES Settlement Fund, Jurupa Unified School District will not be included in this specific solicitation.
  
  
• Approve the school bus replacement and infrastructure awards at the June 15, 2001 Board meeting.

All the submitted applications by the original due date of April 3, 2001, will remain valid, and an outreach effort to all the qualified school districts will be conducted.

Based on the above proposed amendments, the approximate number of low-emitting diesel and CNG buses to be distributed to the public school districts of each county will be according to Table 1.

Table 1: Proposed Distribution of Replacement School Buses in the Basin
 

*The population number is for year 2000, obtained from the California Statistical Abstract, published by the Department of Finance.

**The number of buses allocated to each county are approximate due to price differences for CNG buses and amount of funding requested for infrastructure.

 The amended Program Announcement & Application No. PA2001-02 – Lower-Emission School Bus Replacement & Retrofit Program is attached.

Staff recommends the approval of the proposed selection methodology and the proposed amendments to the program announcement and application of the Lower-Emission School Bus Program.

Benefits to AQMD

School buses operate in close proximity to students, teachers and neighbors. Many schools provide bus services in heavily populated areas. The successful implementation of the Lower-Emission School Bus Replacement Program will provide less polluting and safer school transportation for school children, and will reduce public exposure to toxic diesel particulate matter emissions.

The selection methodology for the school bus replacement awards will maximize the potential emission benefits in low income, high diesel and high PM10 exposure areas, and will enhance the objectives of the Environmental Justice, and Children’s Health initiatives adopted by the Governing Board.

Resource Impacts

No funding approval is requested for this item.

Attachment

Ranking Criteria for CNG School Bus Funding
Ranking Criteria for Low-Emitting Diesel School Bus Funding
Amended Program Announcement & Application No. PA2001-02 – Lower Emission School Bus Replacement & Retrofit Program

ATTACHMENT 1

RANKING CRITERIA FOR CNG SCHOOL BUS FUNDING
 

*Under the exposure category, a maximum of 20 points will be given to schools exposed to the highest ambient air PM10 concentration, and cancer risk from diesel at their garage locations.

**Under the income category, a maximum of 30 points will be given to schools with the highest percentage of students on free meal program (data provided by California Department of Education).

ATTACHMENT 2

RANKING CRITERIA FOR LOW-EMITTING DIESEL SCHOOL BUS FUNDING
 

*Under the exposure category, a maximum of 20 points will be given to schools exposed to the highest ambient air PM10 concentration, and cancer risk from diesel at their garage locations.

**Under the income category, a maximum of 30 points will be given to schools with the highest percentage of students on free meal program (data provided by California Department of Education).

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