BOARD MEETING DATE: May 7, 2004
AGENDA NO. 3

Execute Contract for Wildfire Emissions Health Effects Study

SYNOPSIS:

In November 2003, the Board authorized $150,000 from the General Funds, Undesignated Fund Balance and approved the release of an RFP to study the health effects of the wildfires that occurred in the fall of 2003. This action is to execute a contract with U.C. Irvine to study the correlation of health effects and elevated pollutants from the wildfires.

COMMITTEE:

Mobile Source, April 23, 2004, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Chairman to execute an agreement with U.C. Irvine with Dr. Ralph Delfino as Principal Investigator to conduct a study on the health effects of emissions from the fall 2003 wildfires, in an amount not to exceed $150,000, from the Planning, Rule Development & Area Sources FY 2003-04 Budget.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

The wildfires that occurred in Southern California last fall released an unprecedented amount of fine particulates and other pollutants in smoke over the entire South Coast Air Basin. Fine particulates are known to be associated with a number of serious adverse health effects, including increases in respiratory symptoms, aggravation of asthma, increased hospital and emergency room visits, and increased mortality rates.

In November, 2003 the Governing Board approved RFP #P2004-15 for a study to investigate the potential health effects of emissions from the wildfires, and appropriated $150,000 to fund this study.

Outreach

In accordance with the AQMD’s consulting and contracting policies, a public notice advertising the RFP and inviting bids was published in the following publications:

1.	Antelope Valley Press	10.	Korea Central Daily	19.	Precinct Reporter
2.	Black Voice News	11.	La Opinion	20.	Press Enterprise
3.	Chinese Daily News	12.	La Prensa Hispana	21.	Rafu Shimpo
4.	Desert Sun	13.	La Voz Publications	22.	San Bernardino Sun
5.	Eastern Group Publications	14.	Los Angeles Daily News	23.	State of California Contracts
6.	El Chicano	15.	Los Angeles Sentinel		Register
7.	El Informador	16.	Los Angeles Times	24.	The Excelsior
8.	Inland Empire Hispanic News	17.	Orange County Register	25.	The Signal
9.	Inland Valley Daily Bulletin	18.	Philippine News	26.	Wave Community Newspapers

Additionally, potential bidders were notified utilizing the Los Angeles County MTA and Cal Trans Directories of Certified Minority, Women, Disadvantaged and Disabled Veterans Business Enterprises; the Inland Area Opportunity Pages Ethnic/Women Business & Professional Directory; AQMD’s own electronic listing of certified minority vendors; and AQMD Purchasing’s mailing list. Notice of the RFP was mailed to the Black and Latino Legislative Caucuses and various minority chambers of commerce and business associations; and placed on the Internet at AQMD’s Web site [http://www.aqmd.gov, "Business and Job Opportunities" icon] and AQMD’s bidder’s 24-hour telephone message line (909) 396-2724.

Selection Process

Two proposals were received in response to the RFP. The proposals were evaluated by four reviewers with expertise in the area of health effects of air pollutants. The evaluators included staff from the CARB Research Division; staff from the Electric Power Research Institute’s Air Quality, Health and Risk Assessment group; a faculty member from USC; and the AQMD Health Effects Officer. The reviewers scored the proposals according to criteria outlined in the RFP.

The results of the evaluation are listed in Attachment A.

Proposal

Based on the evaluations, staff recommends awarding a contract to U.C. Irvine in an amount not to exceed $150,000. U.C. Irvine received the highest rating of the proposals received. The proposed study team is well-experienced in epidemiologic methods for assessing the effects of air pollutants on human health. In addition to researchers at U.C. Irvine, co-investigators from the California Department of Health Services, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, UCLA, and Sonoma Technology will participate in the study.

The study will determine if there are any associations of health effects as measured by daily rates of hospitalization and mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory related causes with periods of fire and with levels of particulates and other pollutants from available monitoring data. The researchers will also look at a period of several weeks after the fires ceased to determine if there were any important delayed effects resulting from the fires.

Benefits to AQMD

While there have been numerous studies of traditional particulate and gaseous pollutants, there is very little information on the public health effects of wildfire smoke. Wildfires produce very large amounts of emissions over a period of a few to several days. The resultant ambient levels of pollutants can be several times higher than air quality standards and "usual" community levels. The recent events afford an opportunity to better characterize any adverse effects from smoke, and can provide additional information on potential adverse effects that can be used in future fire events to inform the public regarding health hazards and appropriate actions to reduce exposures.

Resource Impacts

Funds are available in the Planning and Rules FY 2003-2004 budget, Professional & Special Services Account. The amount of the contract will not exceed $150,000.

Attachment

Attachment A – Evaluation of Proposals for RFP #P2004-15

ATTACHMENT A
EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS
FOR RFP #P2004-15
 

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