BOARD MEETING DATE: April 4, 2003
AGENDA NO. 10

Recognize, Appropriate and Reallocate Funds for PM2.5 Program

SYNPOSIS: 

U.S. EPA allocated Section 103 Grant funds to the AQMD as part of the national program to enhance the monitoring network for PM2.5. To date, there are 19 ambient monitoring stations operating PM2.5 samplers under the U.S. EPA funding. This action is to appropriate and reallocate funds for the PM2.5 program to the FY 2002-03 Budget.

COMMITTEE: 

Administrative, March 14, 2003, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

1. Recognize $766,469 of Federal Fiscal Year 2001-02 grant funds and $77,402 of carryover funds from the U.S. EPA Section 103 PM 2.5 grant.
   
   
2. Appropriate a total of $197,402 from the Undesignated Fund Balance ($77,402 of carryover and $120,000 of the Federal Fiscal Year 2001-02 grant award) to the Science & Technology Advancement FY 2002-03 Budget, Services and Supplies Major Object as set forth in Attachments A and B.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

Since 1998, U.S. EPA has been providing funds for a comprehensive PM2.5 air monitoring program under a Section 103 Grant. At its October 2001 meeting, the Board recognized a carryover amount of $966,616 to continue the program through calendar year 2002. At its July 20, 2001 meeting, the Board recognized, appropriated and allocated $141,050 in supplemental Section 103 Grant funds from U.S. EPA to collect continuous particle size information, including ultrafine particles in conjunction with the CARB Children’s Health Study, at several sites within the South Coast Air Basin, and to purchase and operate an additional speciated PM2.5 sampler at the Downtown Los Angeles air monitoring station to allow for a comparison of speciated samples between the AQMD laboratory and the designated national laboratory. This augmentation substantially added to the fine particulate data which will help in the characterization of air quality conditions and health impacts.

Proposal

Funds in the amount of $77,402 allocated for PM2.5 were unexpended as of June 30, 2002. Attachment A provides a summary of the PM2.5 expenditures. These funds need to be appropriated from the Undesignated Fund Balance to the FY 2002-03 Budget and reallocated to accommodate changes in program needs and accomplish the goals of the PM2.5 program. The carryover of unexpended grant funds was discussed with and accepted by the U.S. EPA. Attachment A also lists the reallocation of funds to the FY 2002-03 Budget.

Staff is requesting the Board to appropriate from the Undesignated Fund Balance to the FY 2002-03 Budget a portion of the Federal Fiscal Year 2001-02 PM 2.5 grant award and the entire carryover, and allocate the funds as reflected in Attachments A and B.

Use of Funding

Under the Section 103 Grant program, funds can only be used for the purpose intended, and for the PM2.5 programs, exclusively support those monitoring activities. In addition to all the field and laboratory costs, these funds are used to provide the necessary staff positions to support these programs with the understanding that these are to be fully funded by U.S. EPA. Consistent with U.S. EPA’s commitment to fund these programs in entirety, the AQMD has, to date, received sufficient funding. Attachment A and B show both new and carryover PM2.5 funding, including salaries. However, since salaries are already included in the AQMD’s FY 2002-03 adopted budget, it is necessary only to appropriate $120,000, the non-salary portion, of the Federal Fiscal Year Grant award into the FY 2002-03 Budget.

Resource Impacts

The proposed funding levels will be provided wholly by U.S. EPA to support the continuation of the implementation of PM2.5 Program. This action will result in only minor administrative costs to the AQMD.

Attachments

1. PM 2.5 Program FY 2001-02 Expenditures and FY 2002-03 Carryover Reallocation
2. PM2.5 Program Grant Award for Federal FY 2001-02 and Carryover

/ / /