BOARD MEETING DATE: July 7, 2006
AGENDA NO. 11

Appropriate Funds from U.S. EPA for PM2.5 Program and Issue  Purchase Order

SYNOPSIS:

U.S. EPA has allocated Section 103 Grant funds of $569,466 for the continuation of the PM2.5 monitoring program for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2006 (October 2006 – September 2007). This action is to  appropriate funds to the FY 2006-07 Budget for the continuation of the PM2.5 monitoring program. Staff will bring a proposal to reallocate any unspent FY 2005-06 Section 103 Grant funds from FFY 2005 at a later date. In addition, staff has identified a need to purchase new continuous PM2.5 monitoring systems as early as possible to support the upcoming Air Quality Monitoring component of the Clean Ports Initiative. As such, this action is to issue a purchase order, upon receipt of the award, for the five continuous PM2.5 monitoring systems based on the RFQ results. These allocations were discussed with and approved by U.S. EPA.

COMMITTEE:

Administrative, June 9, 2006, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

1. Upon receipt of the award, appropriate $187,250 to the FY 2006-07 Budget from the U.S. EPA Section 103  Grant for continuation of the PM2.5 monitoring program  per Attachment 1. (Expenditure appropriations exclude salaries and employee benefit amounts which were included in the FY 2006-07 adopted budget).
2. Upon receipt of the award, authorize the Procurement Manager to execute a purchase order with Thermo Electron Corporation  for an amount not to exceed $106,043.75  for the purchase of five continuous PM2.5 monitors.

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, as part of the national program to enhance the monitoring network for PM2.5. To date, there are 20 ambient monitoring stations operating 23 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, 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.

Outreach

In accordance with AQMD’s Procurement Policy and Procedure, a public notice advertising the RFP/RFQ and inviting bids was published in the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register, the San Bernardino Sun, and Riverside County Press Enterprise newspapers to leverage the most cost-effective method of outreach to the entire South Coast Basin.

Additionally, potential bidders may have been notified utilizing AQMD’s own electronic listing of certified minority vendors. Notice of the RFP/RFQ  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). Information was also available on AQMD’s bidder’s 24-hour telephone message line (909) 396-2724.

Proposal 

AQMD will receive U.S. EPA Section 103 Grant funds in the amount of $569,466 to continue support of the PM2.5 monitoring network. This action is to appropriate funds for this program,  upon receipt of the award,  to the Science and Technology Advancement FY 2006-07 Budget for the PM2.5 program and allocate those funds as set forth in Attachment 1. The proposed allocations have been discussed with and accepted by U.S. EPA.   However, there is a potential 1% holdback of funds for Hurricane Katrina relief.

Purchase of Five New Continuous PM2.5 Monitors

On May 5, 2006, the Board approved the release of RFQ #Q2006-15 to competitively select a vendor from which to purchase five new continuous PM2.5 monitors. The additional monitors will  expand the current network of continuous (one-hour) PM2.5 monitors to 14. These new monitors will provide better spatial coverage of hourly PM2.5 mass measurements and also provide real-time data on PM2.5 pollution levels that will enhance the AQMD’s forecasting capabilities. The acquisition of these monitors are consistent with future U.S. EPA requirements for continuous PM2.5 monitoring and reporting. In addition, the monitors will enhance the AQMD’s abilities to forecast particulate levels during wildfire events, and thus, need to be purchased as soon as possible.

Copies of RFQ #Q2006-15 for the purchase of five new continuous PM2.5 monitors were mailed out to interested parties and advertised in accord with the AQMD advertisement policy. At the close of the solicitation on June 6, 2006, one quotation was  received.

An evaluation panel with expertise in the areas of PM2.5 measurement and monitoring was convened to evaluate the bid received from the respondents to the RFQ.   The panel consisted of a Laboratory Branch Chief from CARB, a Principal Chemist and a Principal Air Quality Instrument Specialist from AQMD.   The three-member panel’s ethnicity and gender are  as follows: One Caucasian, two Hispanic; three male. The evaluation process was conducted according to the criteria described in the RFQ.

The panel, based on its evaluation, determined that the single bid received from Thermo Electron Corporation met the technical specifications described in the RFQ.     Therefore, staff recommends that the Board authorize the Procurement Manager to execute a contract with Thermo Electron Corporation  for an amount not to exceed $106,043.75  for the purchase of five new continuous PM2.5 monitors. Sufficient funds are available as requested in the PM2.5 budget appropriation  as a part of this letter.

Resource Impacts 

The funding level provided by the U.S. EPA Section 103 Grant  is sufficient to support the continuation of the PM2.5 program and the purchase of the five new continuous PM2.5 monitors.

Attachment (XLS 36.5KB)
Proposed PM2.5 FFY 2006-07 Budget