BOARD MEETING DATE: December 5, 2003
AGENDA NO. 7

Recognize, Appropriate and Reallocate Funds for PAMS and PM2.5 Programs, Issue RFQ for Carbon Analyzers and Execute Contract for PM2.5 Speciation Samplers

SYNPOSIS:

U.S. EPA has allocated funding for two programs: 1) Section 105 Grant funds of $1,247,903 for the 11th (FY 2002-03) and $1,247,903 for the 12th year (FY 2003-04) of the PAMS program and 2) Section 103 Grant funds of $745,998 for the continuation of the PM2.5 program. The 11th year PAMS funds and PM 2.5 funds have been awarded to AQMD. The 12th year PAMS funds have been applied for. This action is to 1) recognize 11th year PAMS revenue of $1,247,903 and appropriate unspent prior year funds to the FY 2003-04 budget, 2) recognize revenue upon receipt and appropriate funds for the 12th year PAMS program to the FY 2003-04 budget, 3) recognize revenue of $745,998 for the PM2.5 program and appropriate the funds to the FY 2003-04 Budget, 4) recognize upon receipt of the award for susupplemental Section 103 Grant funds upon receipt to purchase samplers for the PM2.5 speciation sampler network, 5) issue an RFQ for two carbon analyzers to support the PM2.5 program, and 6) execute a sole-source contract upon receipt of supplemental PM2.5 award, with MetOne Instruments for the purchase of nine samplers to augment the PM2.5 speciation network. These allocations were discussed with and accepted by U.S. EPA.

COMMITTEE:

Administrative, November 14, 2003, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

1. Recognize revenue of $217,323 from U.S. EPA Section 105 grant funds for the 11th year PAMS program. Appropriate $217,323 from the Undesignated Fund balance to the Major Object salaries and employee benefits in Science and Technology Advancement’s and Planning, Rule Development and Area Source’s FY 2003-04 budgets.
    
2. Upon receipt of the grant, recognize $1,247,903 in revenue from U.S. EPA Section 105 Grant funds for the 12th year PAMS program. Upon receipt, appropriate $1,247,903 from the Undesignated Fund balance to the FY 2003-04 budget as set forth in Attachment 2.
    
3. Recognize $745,998 in revenue from U.S. EPA Section 103 Grant funds for the PM2.5 program. Appropriate $745,998 from the Undesignated Fund balance to the FY 2003-04 budget as set forth in Attachment 3.
    
4. Upon receipt of the grant, recognize $108,000 in supplemental revenue from U.S. EPA Section 103 Grant funds for the PM2.5 program. Upon receipt, appropriate $108,000 from the Undesignated Fund balance to the Capital Outlays Major Object in the FY 2003-04 Science and Technology Advancement budget for the purchase of nine (9) PM2.5 speciation samplers.
    
5. Issue RFQ #Q2004-01 for the purchase of two carbon analyzers to support the PM2.5 program.
    
6. Authorize the Executive Officer, upon receipt of supplemental award from U.S.EPA to execute a contract with MetOne Instruments, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $108,000 for the purchase of nine (9) PM2.5 speciation samplers (SASS) on a sole-source basis.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

PAMS Program
In February 1993, the U.S. EPA promulgated the PAMS regulations for areas classified as serious, severe or extreme non-attainment. Those regulations require AQMD to conduct monitoring for ozone precursors with enhanced monitoring equipment initially at one site, increasing to a total of seven sites. All seven sites are now operational. The PAMS program is also funding the meteorological upper air profilers sited at LAX and Ontario airports, the upper air site installed at Moreno Valley in Riverside County, and a new upper air site planned for Orange County. Since the onset of the PAMS program, U.S. EPA has annually allocated Section 105 supplemental grant funds in support of this requirement.

PM2.5 Program
Since 1998, U.S. EPA has been providing funds for a comprehensive PM2.5 air monitoring program under a Section 103 Grant, 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. In addition, U.S. EPA has funded a supplemental grant to collect continuous particle size information, including ultra fine 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 PM2.5 speciation sampler at the Downtown Los Angeles air monitoring station to allow for a comparison of speciated samples between the AQMD laboratory and a 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.

U.S. EPA recently identified additional Section 103 Grant funds for the PM2.5 program that could be used by state and local agencies to further augment PM2.5 programs. Staff has discussed with U.S EPA an augmentation to the PM2.5 speciation program to collect comprehensive PM2.5 speciation data in preparation for the next State Implementation Plan planning cycle for PM2.5. The proposal was well received by U.S. EPA and a letter of request for supplemental funds in the amount of $108,000 has been submitted to U.S. EPA Region IX for consideration. Final approval and appropriation of the excess funds by U.S. EPA is expected by the end of December 2003.

Proposal

PAMS Program
PAMS 11th year funds for federal fiscal years (FFY) 2002-03 in the amount of $1,247,903 were awarded in August 2003 and the majority of those funds covered expenditures and encumbrances incurred in FY 2002-03. Attachment 1 provides a summary of revenue and expenditures by Major Object for PAMS including the 11th year funds. Staff proposes to carry over the remaining $217,523 of unspent 11th year PAMS funds into the FY 2003-04 budget to cover salaries and employee benefit expenditures in Science & Technology Advancement and Planning, Rule Development & Area Sources.

U.S. EPA has also advised AQMD that Section 105 Grant funds in the amount of $1,247,903 to support the 12th year of the PAMS program will become available early in the federal fiscal year that began October 1, 2003. Staff proposes that the Board recognize, upon receipt, $1,247,903 in revenue from U.S. EPA Section 105 Grant funds for the 12th year of the PAMS program, and, also upon receipt of funds, appropriate $1,247,903 from the Undesignated Fund balance to the FY 2003-04 budget as set forth in Attachment 2.

In addition to on-going support of the federal PAMS program, $300,000 of the 12th year PAMS funds are proposed for allocation to support a third MATES program to characterize current ambient air toxics levels in the South Coast Air Basin. The use of the PAMS funds to support projects that are important nationally as well as locally, but not necessarily directly PAMS related has been discussed with U.S. EPA. Since this use of the PAMS funds for MATES III supports a project of significant importance both to the AQMD and the U.S. EPA, and the funds allocated to PAMS support will assure adequate data capture, the U.S. EPA concurs with this use of the PAMS funds.

PM2.5 Program
AQMD has received U.S. EPA Section 103 Grant funds in the amount of $745,998 to continue support of the PM2.5 monitoring network. This action is to recognize and appropriate these funds to the Science & Technology Advancement FY 2003-04 budget for the PM2.5 program and allocate those funds as set forth in Attachment 3.

Staff is also requesting Board approval to issue an RFQ (Attachment 4) to purchase two Carbon Analyzers that will be used to address the increased analytical workload for organic and elemental carbon (surrogate for diesel particulate matter) that is expected in concurrently conducting the MATES III program and particulate monitoring. The purchase of these laboratory instruments is contingent on the Board approving the above proposed allocation of EPA Section 103 Grant funds for the continuation of the PM2.5 monitoring program. This allocation has been discussed with and accepted by U.S. EPA.

Staff has requested funding from U.S EPA to augment the PM2.5 speciation network and the AQMD request is under consideration. This action is to recognize, upon receipt, $108,000 in supplemental Section 103 Grant funds, and, also upon receipt, appropriate $108,000 from the Undesignated Fund balance to the FY 2003-04 budget for the purchase of nine (9) PM2.5 speciation samplers. Also, upon receipt of the supplemental funding, staff is proposing a sole-source purchase of the PM2.5 speciation samplers.

Sole-Source Justification
A sole-source award is authorized under Sections IV.B. of the Procurement Policy and Procedure when a purchase does not lend itself to substitution. Section VIII, (B) (2) of the Procurement Policy and Procedure identifies four major provisions under which a sole-source award may be justified. This request for a sole- source purchase is made under provision B.2.d (6). This equipment must be compatible with existing equipment currently in use for the PM2.5 programs, to maintain consistency with equipment in use in the existing PM2.5 speciation network, and to assure that parts are interchangeable with this existing equipment. In addition, although several speciation samplers have been tested by U.S. EPA, they have not made any equivalency declarations for PM2.5 speciation samplers. The use of the same samplers across the PM2.5 speciation network will assure that data collected are comparable historically as well as geographically.

Resource Impacts

U.S. EPA funding will support the 11th year operation of PAMS program and will further provide for equipment, temporary services, supplies and services, necessary to meet the objectives of the program.

The proposed funding levels will be provided by the U.S. EPA Section 103 grant to support the continuation of the implementation of PM2.5 Program, and to also augment the PM2.5 program with respect to the speciation network.

Attachments

Attachment 1 - Summary of PAMS Expenditures by Major Object
Attachment 2 - Proposed PAMS 12th Year Expenditure
Attachment 3 - Proposed PM2.5 Expenditure
Attachment 4 - RFQ #Q2004-01 - Carbon Analyzers

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