BOARD MEETING DATE: December 2, 2005
AGENDA NO. 8

Recognize Revenue and Approve Expenditures for Conference on Ultrafine Particles

SYNPOSIS:

The Board has directed staff to organize a conference regarding ultrafine particles in Spring 2006. This action is to recognize revenues, approve a conference budget and authorize the Executive Officer to approve conference expenditures not to exceed $200,000 from the Clean Fuels Program.

COMMITTEE:

Technology, November 18, 2005, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

1. Approve the transfer of $78,500 from the Clean Fuels Fund (Fund 31) to the Clean Fuels Conference Fund (Fund 26) to cover the budget for the Ultrafine Particle Conference.
    
2. Approve the proposed budget to expend up to $200,000 from the Clean Fuels Conference Fund to cover planned expenditures for the Ultrafine Particle Conference as provided in Table 1 of this letter.
    
3. Authorize the Executive Officer to approve conference expenditures from the Clean Fuels Conference Fund, as provided in Table 1, and recognize revenues generated by the Ultrafine Particle Conference in the Clean Fuels Conference Fund. The Clean Fuels Conference Fund will be augmented and replenished to the extent possible with revenues raised from conference sponsorships, exhibitor fees, and registration fees.
   
    

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

Recent findings from studies of ultrafine particles (those less than 0.1 micron in diameter) indicate that these particles may be more potent than either PM10 or PM2.5 at inducing adverse health effects. The Board directed staff to organize a conference to be held in Spring 2006 that will highlight the current state of knowledge of the sources, measurement, ambient levels, health significance, regulation and control of ultrafine particles.

The Board established a Clean Fuels Conference Fund in May 2004 to be used for conferences promoting AQMD’s Clean Fuels Program objectives. This fund was last used for the “Hydrogen—Fueling the Clean Air Future” Conference held in August 2004. There is currently a balance of $121,500 remaining in the Clean Fuels Conference Fund
 

Proposal

Staff requests that the Board approve allocating up to $200,000 from the Clean Fuels Conference Fund (Fund 26) to organize and conduct an Ultrafine Particle Conference in the Spring of 2006. Staff has prepared a proposed budget for the conference as shown in the following table.

Table 1 --  Proposed Ultrafine Particle Conference Budget Expenditures

(Assuming 300 Attendees)

There is currently $121,500 in the Clean Fuels Conference Fund. To cover the anticipated expenditures, staff is requesting Board approval to allocate an additional $78,500 from the Clean Fuels Fund (Fund 31) to bring the total to $200,000, and that the Board authorize the Executive Officer to approve conference expenditures from the Clean Fuels Conference Fund.

Revenues received from sponsorships, exhibit fees and registration fees will be used to replenish the fund to the extent possible. Therefore, staff requests the Board to recognize revenues received from the Ultrafine Particle Conference in the Clean Fuels Conference Fund.

Benefits to AQMD

The Ultrafine Particles Conference will increase local, state and national awareness of the sources of these emissions, their adverse health effects, and the need to reduce the levels of these pollutants in vehicle exhaust, and in our ambient air.
 

Resource Impacts

Expenses for the Ultrafine Particle Conference (not to exceed a total of $200,000) will be drawn from the Clean Fuels Conference Fund, which will be augmented with a transfer of $78,500 from the Clean Fuels Fund. The Clean Fuels Conference Fund will be replenished to the extent possible with revenues received from sponsorships, registration fees and exhibitor fees from the Ultrafine Particle Conference. Expenditure of these Clean Fuels Funds is reasonably related to the purposes of the Clean Fuels Program because most ultrafine particles are emitted from motor vehicles. It is necessary to understand the nature, sources, and impacts of ultrafine particles in order to properly design a Clean Fuels Program that does not significantly increase ultrafine particles and provides available reductions of such particles.

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