BOARD MEETING DATE: December 7, 2007
AGENDA NO. 26

REPORT:

Technology Committee

SYNOPSIS:

The Technology Committee met on November 16, 2007. Major topics included Technology Advancement items reflected in the regular Board Agenda for the December Board meeting. A summary of these topics with the Committee's comments is provided. The next Technology Committee meeting will be on January 18, 2008 at 12:00 p.m. in CC-8.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Receive and file.

Roy Wilson, Chair
Technology Committee

Attendance: Committee Chair Roy Wilson participated by video-teleconference. There being no quorum, Roy Wilson heard the agenda items as a committee of one. Chairman Wilson communicated his approval of staff recommendations and directed that the following items be forwarded for Board consideration.

DECEMBER BOARD AGENDA ITEMS

1. Approve Grants for Replacement of Pre-1987 School Buses with New CNG School Buses - At its June 1, 2007 meeting, the Board authorized issuance of Program Announcement PA# 2007-13 to replace pre-1987 school buses with new alternative fuel school buses. Several public school districts applied. This action is to replace 108 pre-1987 school buses with new CNG buses in an amount not to exceed $16,307,329 from either the Carl Moyer Program AB 923 Fund or from state bond funds, if these become available. Upon receipt of the state bond funds, this action will also replace an additional 67 pre-1987 school buses with new CNG buses.
    
2. Execute Three Contracts to Cosponsor Emissions Testing of Various Blends of Alternative Fuels - There is increased attention on alternative fuels due to national support for biofuels and state activities resulting from AB32, AB1007, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and changing natural gas composition. In order to evaluate the most likely emission impact from these fuels, this action is to execute three projects with the University of California Riverside College of Engineering Center for Environmental Research and Technology. The first would cosponsor a project with CARB evaluating diesel biofuels and biofuel blends. The second would evaluate different blends of ethanol for light-duty vehicles. The third would cosponsor a project with the California Energy Commission evaluating various natural gas blends. The total cost for these three projects is expected to be $2,280,000 with the AQMD funding not to exceed $450,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund.
    
3. Execute Port LNG Truck Fleet Modernization Contract under the “Year 8” Carl Moyer Program - On February 3, 2006, the Board set aside $6 million to replace older heavy-duty diesel trucks at the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and the Port of Long Beach (POLB) with new LNG trucks under the Carl Moyer fleet modernization program. On February 1, 2007, AQMD, POLA, and POLB released a joint RFP for a total amount of $22 million to solicit LNG truck projects. POLA and POLB contributed $8 million each towards this project. The RFP closed on March 30, 2007, and AQMD, POLA, and POLB jointly evaluated the applications which were received in response to the RFP. This action is to execute a contract with Southern Counties Express to replace 21 heavy-duty pre-1990 diesel trucks with 2006 model year LNG trucks in an amount not to exceed $3,024,000 from the “Year 8” Carl Moyer Program Fund SB1107 Account.
    
4. Report on 2007 Southern California Wildfires, Proposed Actions to Enhance Future Response Capabilities, and Issue Sole Source Purchase Orders for Additional Continuous Monitoring Equipment for Fine Particle Matter - Southern California continues to experience wildfires and this year’s fires were the most severe in recent history. Staff will provide an update on the air quality impacts and the AQMD response to the 2007 Southern California wildfires. Staff will also propose a series of actions to enhance future response capabilities, including enhanced communications to the public through the AQMD website and interactive voice response system, releasing information to the media and local jurisdictions, and enhancing measurement capabilities to capture real-time pollutant concentrations during wildfire events.

OTHER BUSINESS - There was no other business.

Public Comment Period - There was no public comment.

The meeting was adjourned.

Attachment
A - Attendance

Attachment A – Attendance

Bob Ulloa, Board Assistant ......................................AQMD

Chung Liu, DEO, S&TA ..........................................AQMD

Henry Hogo, ADEO, S&TA .......................................AQMD

Barbara Baird, District Counsel .................................AQMD

Phil Fine, S&TA ...................................................AQMD

Dean Saito, S&TA ................................................AQMD

Sam Attwood, Media Office .....................................AQMD

Joe Cassmassi, Planning & Rule Development ................AQMD

Fred Minassian, S&TA ...........................................AQMD

Matt Miyasato, S&TA ............................................AQMD

Mike Bogdanoff, S&TA ..........................................AQMD

Dipankar Sarkar, S&TA ..........................................AQMD

Frank Motavessal, S&TA ........................................AQMD

Donna Vernon, S&TA .............................................AQMD

Dory Kilgour, S&TA ...............................................AQMD

Roy Kim ...........................................................CaFCP

Russell Vare ......................................................CaFCP