South Coast Air Quality Management District

Recognize Revenue from EPA and Appropriate Prior Year’s Unexpended EPA Grant Section 105 Funds to FY 2002-03 Budget

SYNOPSIS:  

EPA previously awarded Section 105 grants for several specific projects, but the total amount awarded was not spent. EPA has now approved the use of these unspent funds for other projects. This Board letter recognizes $245,172 from EPA and appropriates the funds into the FY 2002-03 Budget.

COMMITTEE:

Administrative, July 19, 2002, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

1. Recognize $245,172 of Section 105 Grant revenue from EPA.
   
   
2. Appropriate a total of $245,172 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to the Fiscal Year 2002-03 Budget as set forth in Attachment A.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

EPA awarded Section 105 Grants for the following projects: Permit Program (FFY 1992-93), FIP Modeling (FFY 1992-93), Remote Sensing (FFY 1992-93), Enhanced Monitoring and Compliance Regulation Development (FFY 1992-93) and Market Incentives/Enforcement Strategies (FFY 1996-97). As of FY 2001-02, $245,172 of funding was unexpended from these programs and can now be directed to other priority activities. AQMD requested that the unspent funds be redirected to other projects. EPA approved the request for the following projects:

Improved PM₁₀ Forecasting
There is currently a high wind notification system that was designed to serve the Coachella Valley. This system, however, relies on a limited number of wind-monitoring sites and consists of dated equipment that is subject to frequent breakdowns. The equipment purchased under this grant will upgrade the five existing wind stations and add at least three new sites with ultrasonic anemometers and improved data loggers for more accurate and reliable measurements with reduced maintenance requirements. To facilitate the monitoring program implementation, a contractor is proposed to prepare a detailed monitoring plan, obtain the necessary site approvals, install the equipment, and initially maintain and monitor the meteorological network.

Facilitator for Negotiated Rulemaking
AQMD will contract with a facilitator to conduct a negotiated rulemaking process to develop proposed rule(s) for metal finishing, specifically addressing toxic substances associated with plating operations. This project calls for the use of a facilitator to arrive at a proposed rule which will undergo the traditional public comment process. Additionally, the process results will be evaluated for future regulatory direction.

Assessment, Development and Demonstration of Low-VOC Cleaning Solvents for Cleaning of Lithographic Printing Ink Application Equipment
The AQMD is aware of an ongoing study being conducted by the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) on the cleaning of lithographic printing equipment. The Department has been interested in finding cleaning materials that are low in toxicity and VOCs to reduce toxic waste. The DTSC study covers the same type of facilities and cleaning materials covered by our rule requirements for this industry. DTSC has informed the AQMD that their two-year study ends in October 2002 and has asked the AQMD if it would fund the testing of alternative cleaning materials at additional lithographic facilities to ensure that a broader and more representative range of facilities will be covered under the study. The AQMD will support this study by providing additional funding since the lithographic sector represents almost 3.5 tons per day of VOC emissions.

Environmental Justice and Toxics Outreach
The AQMD will hire a contractor to assist AQMD’s Environmental Justice team in developing and hosting a series of six Environmental Justice Workshops that will serve to provide area employers, local governments, small businesses and professional organizations with an overview on environmental justice and its role in local air quality planning and policy.

Handheld PCs

The goal of this project is to identify new businesses that are operating without required AQMD permits in AQMD jurisdiction by providing compliance inspectors the ability to load maps showing the location of businesses in selected geographic areas with already permitted businesses identified. The AQMD will purchase several handheld PCs' (Compaq iPAQ running Pocket PC software with a Global Positioning System (GPS)) that runs an application that allows the compliance inspector to bring up a graphic of the selected target area into the handheld PC, capture data using predefined forms, measure distances to schools or other sensitive receptors, and upload the data back to AQMD's database.

Proposal

Recognize $245,172 of revenue from EPA and appropriate $245,172 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to the FY 2002-03 Budget for the projects described above and as set forth in Attachment A.

Resource Impacts

Revenue in the amount of $245,172 will be recognized from EPA and $245,172 will be appropriated from the Undesignated Fund Balance to the FY 2002-03 Budget.

Attachments

Attachment A – Prior Years EPA Section 105 Carryover Funds

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