BOARD MEETING DATE: November 3, 2006
AGENDA NO. 24

Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee

SYNOPSIS:

Below is a summary of key issues addressed at the MSRC’s regular October 19, 2006 meeting. The MSRC’s next meeting is Thursday, November 16, 2006, at 2:00 p.m. in Room CC8.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Receive and file.

Michael D. Antonovich
AQMD Representative on MSRC

Minutes

Minutes from the August 17, 2006 meeting were unanimously approved. They are attached for your information (Attachment 1).

CNG School Bus Demonstration Program

When the MSRC developed its two-phase $12.7 million FY 2006-07 Work Program, it concurrently directed MSRC staff to investigate issues surrounding dirty diesel school buses in two high-altitude, mountainous regions. At its October 19, 2006 meeting, the MSRC unanimously approved one or more sole-source agreements to BusWest and S-W Compressors, Inc. to assist in administering a CNG school bus demonstration program in partnership with the MSRC and Bear Valley and Rim of the World Unified School Districts. Each school district will be provided a leased CNG bus and the use of a temporary CNG refueling station for a one-year period during which data will be collected to determine the feasibility of CNG buses in these mountainous regions. The MSRC will seek AQMD Board approval on December 1, 2006, for one or more sole-source agreements, which would best effectuate the program and handle liability concerns of AQMD, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $150,930, under the FY 2006‑ 07 AB 2766 Discretionary Fund Work Program.

 Off-Road Vehicle Diesel Emission Control System Demonstration Program

As part of its FY 2006-07 Work Program, the MSRC set aside $1 million to partner with the AQMD and CARB in a statewide off-road vehicle diesel emission control system demonstration program. CARB is pursuing adoption of a new rule regulating PM emissions from off-road construction equipment. However, there must be verified devices available on the market if the rule is to be enforceable. Consequently, CARB has proposed a demonstration program which will be administered locally to ultimately verify devices in the U.S. The intention is to fund 100% of the devices to be tested to ensure fleets and manufacturers come to the table. The AQMD has also committed a $1 million match to this program. At its October 19, 2006 meeting, the MSRC received an update on the status of this Program. Currently, CARB is establishing guidelines for the program, which will hopefully launch in mid-2007. The program will be 12 months or longer to allow different fleets the opportunity to participate. Staff anticipates that a Program Announcement, subject to MSRC and AQMD Board approval, would be released once parameters of the program are defined.

De-obligate $1 Million from FY 2004-05 Work Program

As part of its FY 2004-05 Work Program, the MSRC set aside $1 million to explore the possibility of repowering law enforcement buses with new cleaner diesel engines. MSRC staff met with representatives from the primary sheriff’s departments in the four counties to discuss potential program parameters and obtain their feedback and investigated the types of buses used in law enforcement transportation. The difficulties to reconfigure these engines coupled with the high costs and concerns expressed by the sheriff’s departments made the program infeasible. Additionally, as a result of CARB rules, law enforcement buses are now being retrofitted with aftertreatment devices to reduce particulate matter, essentially achieving what the MSRC set out to do. Therefore, the MSRC unanimously agreed to de-obligate the $1 million set aside in the FY 2004-05 Work Program and revert it back to the AB 2766 Discretionary Fund for future use as deemed appropriate.

Contract Modification Requests

At its October 19, 2006 meeting, the MSRC considered three contract modification requests and took unanimous action, as follows:

1. For Road Builders, Inc. Contract #MS05037, which provides $238,500 to repower three scrapers, approval to substitute the model and type of scrapers to be repowered;
2. For Downs Commercial Fueling Contract #MS04052, which provides $250,000 towards the construction of a new LNG/L-CNG station, approval of a one-year contract term extension; and
3. For U.S. Airconditioning Distributors (contract pending), which provides $150,000 towards installation of a new CNG station, approval to accept a reconditioned compressor from outside AQMD jurisdiction, which is warrantied as new, as fulfilling the intent of the solicitation requirements.

Contract Administrator’s Report

The MSRC's AB 2766 Contract Administrator provides a written status report on all open contracts from FY 2000-01 through the present. This Contract Administrator’s Report for the month of September is attached for your information (Attachment 2).

Attachments (EXE 240kb)

1) Approved August 17, 2006 Minutes
2) Contract Administrator’s Report

Nov06 MSRC Board Cte Report.doc