BOARD MEETING DATE: December 1, 2006
AGENDA NO. 8

Execute Sole Source Contract for Locomotive Certification Testing under AB 1222

SYNOPSIS:

On July 14, 2006, the Board awarded a sole source contract for $400,000 to Environmental Systems Products Holdings, Inc. to develop and implement the Remote Sensing Device technology feasibility study under AB 1222.  Subsequent to that action, the AB 1222 Advisory Committee has recommended a sole source contract award to Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) for an additional cost of $140,000 to be split equally between the Railroads and AQMD.  This action is to execute a contract with SwRI to perform locomotive emissions testing in California as part of the AB 1222 RSD technology feasibility study at a cost not to exceed $70,000.

COMMITTEE:

Technology, November 17, 2006, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Executive Officer to execute a sole source contract with Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), to perform locomotive exhaust emission certification testing in California as part of the AB 1222 RSD technology feasibility study to measure locomotive exhaust emissions, in an amount not to exceed $70,000 from the Science and Technology Advancement FY 2006-07 Budget, Professional and Special Services Account.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

Assembly Bill 1222 (Jones, chaptered October 6, 2005) requires that CARB implement a pilot program, designed in consultation with an Advisory Committee, to measure the feasibility of using Remote Sensing Devices (RSDs) to determine locomotive exhaust emissions.  The Advisory Committee is made up of recognized experts in the field of remote sensing and locomotive technology, and representatives of citizen community groups, AQMD, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, Union Pacific Railroad and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.

Specifically, the objectives of the pilot program are to determine whether remote sensing devices can accurately and replicably determine, with a reasonable level of precision:

1. The levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions from locomotives.
2. Whether a locomotive is subject to Tier 0, 1, or 2 federal certification standards.
3. Whether the measured results can be calibrated to determine compliance with applicable federal emission certification levels.

AB 1222 requires that the program include data from a sufficient number of locomotives that would be representative of the locomotive fleet operating in northern and southern California.   The pilot program will also address the ability of RSD systems to identify high-emitting locomotives.  In July 2006, the Board recognized and received $100,000 from CARB to combine with the $300,000 that the Board had approved to co-fund the AB 1222 program.  

Proposal

Subsequent to the July 2006 Board action, the Advisory Committee issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to identify groups capable of performing locomotive exhaust emission tests using Federal Test Procedures for locomotives.  Four groups responded to this RFQ.  Of these four respondents, the Advisory Committee concluded that only one group, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) located in San Antonio, Texas, met all the necessary qualifications to perform the testing.  The Advisory Committee also agreed that certification testing be conducted in California on locomotives identified as operating in California at an additional cost of $140,000.  The Railroads have agreed to share this cost equally with the AQMD. 

This action is to request Board approval of  a sole source contract with Southwest Research Institute in an amount not to exceed $70,000, to perform locomotive exhaust emission certification testing in California on locomotives identified as operating in California, and to share equally the total additional cost of these tests ($140,000) with the Railroads.

Sole Source Justification

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 award is being made under the following provisions:

B.2.c (1): The unique experience and capabilities of the proposed contractor or contractor team.  SwRI has performed locomotive exhaust emission certification testing for more than 30 years and performed over 150 locomotive exhaust emissions tests for U.S. EPA, CARB, AQMD, Transport Canada, the locomotive OEMs, the engine component suppliers, the Association of American Railroads, and for the individual railroads.  SwRI test data has been used for more certification applications than from any other source including the locomotive engine manufacturers.  The AB 1222 Advisory Committee unanimously agrees that SwRI is uniquely qualified in meeting all conditions necessary to the objectives of AB 1222;

B.2.d (1): Projects involving cost sharing by multiple sponsors.  The cost associated with this element of part three of the objectives of AB 1222 identified above is being shared equally between the AQMD and the Railroads (Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific);

B.2.d. (8): Research and development efforts with educational institutions or nonprofit organizations.  SwRI is an independent, nonprofit applied research and development organization.

Benefits to AQMD

As emission contributions from stationary sources become a smaller component of the AQMD’s emissions inventory, the focus has been increasingly directed at mobile source emissions.  Mobile source emissions (both on-road and off-road) represent a major category of the emissions of both ozone and fine particulate matter forming pollutants, and locomotives emit significant levels of ozone forming pollutants in the South Coast Basin (equivalent to that of approximately 1.5 million automobiles). This fact, combined with the close proximity of many rail yards and tracks to communities, demonstrates the necessity of ensuring that only the cleanest locomotives operate in the Basin.  Successful implementation and validation of Remote Sensing Devices could allow deployment of such devices across the railroad corridors in the Basin to identify the high-emitting locomotives and with the intent of taking necessary steps to reduce their emissions.   The potential reductions in emissions could be substantial and the mitigation of health impacts from such reductions would be significant.

AQMD staff is therefore proposing that the AQMD enter into a sole source agreement with Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to share equally ($70,000) with the Railroads the $140,000 additional California-based locomotive exhaust emission certification testing costs.  SwRI’s experience and technical expertise ensure accurate certification testing that will aid in validating the effectiveness of RSD technology as a tool for identifying high-emitting locomotives and to help achieve the emission reductions needed to reduce the health and air quality effects of these emissions.

Resource Impacts

The total amount of AQMD funding for this program shall not exceed $70,000.  Sufficient funds are available in the Science and Technology Advancement FY 2006-07 Budget, Professional and Specialized Services Account to cover the cost of this project.

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