South Coast Air Quality Management District
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee
SYNOPSIS:
Below is a summary of key issues addressed at the MSRC’s October 24, 2002 meeting. The MSRC's November 21 meeting was cancelled. Therefore, their next meeting is Thursday, December 19, 2002, at 1:30 p.m. in Room CC8.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive and file.
Henry Hogo
Asst. Deputy Executive Officer/Science & Technology Advancement
Approval of CNG School Bus Program RFQ as Part of Conceptual FY 2002-03 Work Program
At its October 24 meeting the MSRC considered the last element of its Conceptual FY 2002-03 AB 2766 Discretionary Fund Work Program. Previously the MSRC had set aside $2 million for CNG school bus incentives, including greater incentives for replacement buses versus new buses. This commitment was included as part of the overall Conceptual FY 2002-03 Work Program, which was approved by the Board on October 4, 2002. At that time the MSRC directed its staff to explore how it could support the AQMD's Lower-Emission School Bus Program. One thought was to fund eligible bus applications which the AQMD could not because the demand exceeded available funding. After lengthy discussion the MSRC felt there was no fiscal or air quality advantage to funding buses from the AQMD's backup list as part of the AQMD's grant program, but that there would be additional administrative burden for the MSRC. As such, the MSRC decided to allocate the entire $2 million commitment to its own CNG school bus incentive program. The MSRC requested that for those school districts that do not receive AQMD funding be made aware of the MSRC program.
Following the above discussion, the MSRC approved a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit school bus vendors to participate in a CNG School Bus Buydown Program. The $2 million will provide funding under a tiered incentive for four classes of buses, as follows:
|
Full-Size Type D CNG School Bus (min. 60 seats) |
- $60,000 incentive per bus | |
| Mid-Size CNG School Bus (min. 50-55 seats) |
- $50,000 incentive per bus | |
| Compact Type A Cutaway (min. 23-30 seats) |
- $25,000 incentive per bus | |
| Full-Size Van Bus (15 or less seats) | - $10,000 incentive per bus |
The diesel buses being replaced must be scrapped or removed from the South Coast Air District. Qualified school bus vendors will administer the program so that school districts receive a reduced price per bus. Applications from eligible school bus vendors may be received up to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 3, 2002.
The Board approved release of the $2 million CNG School Bus RFQ at its November 1, 2002 meeting under the consent calendar.
In December the MSRC may consider awards under three of its incentive programs, specifically the alternative fuel infrastructure, Coachella Valley PM10 reduction, and the CNG school bus incentive programs. If so, these awards would be considered by the Board at its January 2003 meeting as part of the FY 2002-03 Work Program.
Biennual AB 2766 Audit for FYs 1999-00 and 2000-01
The Health & Safety Code requires that an audit of AB 2766 fee recipients be conducted every two years by an independent auditor selected by the AQMD. AQMD staff reported that it had retained Simpson & Simpson through a bid process to perform the compliance audit on each of the three segments of the AB 2766 Program, including the MSRC's Discretionary Fund. The MSRC will reimburse its cost-share of these auditing costs up to $6,000 out of the FY 2002-03 Work Program. The audit results will be reported in February 2003.
Final Report Received and Approved
The MSRC received and unanimously approved one final report for Sukut Construction, Inc., Contract #02022, which provided $604,347 for heavy-duty alternative fuel vehicle conversions. All final reports are filed in the AQMD's library and a two-page summary of each closed project can be viewed in the electronic library on the MSRC's Web site at http://www.msrc-cleanair.org.
Contract Modification Request
The MSRC unanimously approved a six-month contractual term extension through May 1, 2003 for City of La Habra Contract #S0126, which provides $20,000 toward the reconstruction/expansion of a CNG refueling station. Delays in the project timeline occurred because of subcontractor and gas supply line issues.
Contract Administrator Report
The MSRC's AB 2766 Contract Administrator provided a written status report on all open contracts from FY 1995-96 through the present. This Contract Administrator Report is attached for the Board's information.
Contract Administrator Report
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