BOARD MEETING DATE: February 1, 2008
AGENDA NO. 4

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

1. Approve the attached resolution to recognize up to $34,482,943 from CARB under SB 1107 for the Carl Moyer Program and place it in the Carl Moyer Fund and accept the terms and conditions of the FY 2007-08 Carl Moyer Grant award.

2. Approve issuance of Program Announcement #PA2008-06, in the amount of $15 million, to solicit projects for the FY 2007-08 Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

Carl Moyer Program
The Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program (CMP) provides funds on an incentive basis for the incremental cost of purchasing cleaner than required engines and equipment. Eligible projects include cleaner on- and off-road, marine, locomotive, and agricultural engines, as well as forklifts, airport ground support equipment, and auxiliary power units.

This is the tenth year of the CMP and the fourth year of the program with funding from SB 1107 and AB 923. CARB has allocated $34,482,943 to the AQMD under SB 1107 for implementation of the FY 2007-08 CMP. Of this amount, $1,724,147 is designated for administrative and outreach efforts, and $32,758,796 for projects funding. In addition, $5,321,442 is required from the AQMD as its local match funding.

AB 923 Funds
On September 23, 2004 the Governor signed AB 923 (Firebaugh), which allows air districts in designated non-attainment areas to adopt an additional two-dollar surcharge on motor vehicle registration fees for programs that achieve emission reductions from vehicular sources and off-road engines. The Board at its December 3, 2004 meeting, adopted a resolution for the two-dollar vehicle registration fee increase, and at its July 8, 2005 meeting, adopted its long term program guideline for expenditure of funds. A summary of AB 923 funds collected from FY 2004-05 till the end of FY 2007-08, with the allowed administrative costs and available project funds are shown in Table 1.

Table 1: AB 923 Funds Collected from FY 2004-05 through FY 2007-08

AB 923 funds obligated or expended on projects to date, and the estimated available balance till the end of FY 2007-08 are shown in Table 2.

Table 2: AB 923 Funds Obligated and Available Balance by FY 2007-08

Proposal

Staff recommends that the Board recognize and approve the terms and conditions for receiving $34,482,943 from CARB as AQMD’s 2007-08 “Year 10”Carl Moyer Program allocation under SB 1107. For “Year Ten” of the CMP, staff is requesting approval to release Program Announcement #PA2008-06, for approximately $15 million with $10.6 million in funding from SB 1107, and $4.4 million in funding from AB 923. The remaining balances from SB 1107 funds allocated by CARB and AB 923 funds will be recommended to the Board for approval separately for the SOON Program, the Heavy-Duty LNG Truck projects at the ports, and a combination of the Fleet Modernization and Proposition 1B projects. The details of these funding allocations are outlined in Table 3.

Table 3: Details of Available Funding

If more funds become available by the time of awards approval, more projects will be awarded up to the total amount of funds available. All the proposed projects will be evaluated according to the new CMP guidelines, anticipated to be approved by the CARB Board in early 2008. The cost-effectiveness limit will be raised from $14,300/ton to $16,000/ton in the new guidelines. The CMP guidelines require that the emission reductions be a minimum of 15 percent for repower or retrofit projects and 30 percent for new engines. Staff proposes more stringent criteria for cost-effectiveness in some sectors based on experiences derived from past solicitations. Table 4 outlines the proposed minimum funding allocations and the maximum allowed cost-effectiveness requirements for each category and subcategory:

Table 4
Proposed Funding and Cost-Effectiveness Limits

*   The above indicated amounts are the minimum amounts but not necessarily the
    maximum amounts of funding available to be awarded to each vehicle/equipment
    category. In case of undersubscription in one category funds will be allocated to other
    categories.

** Small fleets (20 or fewer vehicles, with GVW 8,501 lbs. and above), and public sector.

The proposed program announcement will solicit projects for on- and off-road vehicles and equipment, including refuse haulers, on-road trucks, transit buses, locomotives, agricultural engines, marine and port applications, and other vehicles and equipment. New engines, repowers and retrofits are allowed within the program. As in previous years, AQMD will fund diesel-to-diesel applications only when alternative fuel engines/vehicles are not commercially available or certified by CARB. At least 40 percent of funding will be awarded to projects related to goods movement. Projects to retrofit on-road heavy-duty diesel vehicles with CARB-verified traps will be allowed to compete for funding, as particulate matter is now one of the criteria pollutants qualifying for funding. The projects would need to meet the cost-effectiveness and all other requirements of the program.

Proposals for all categories will be due by 1:00 pm on Friday, May 2, 2008. Staff expects to finalize the review and evaluation of the proposals and recommend awards for Board approval on or before the September 2008 meeting, contingent upon receiving the required funds from CARB. The Carl Moyer Program Announcement is included as Attachment 2.

Program Guidelines

At its July 8, 2005 meeting, the Board approved a long term Program Guideline for the implementation of the Carl Moyer Program in the South Coast Air Basin with continuous funding from SB 1107 and AB 923 until 2015. The proposed funding distribution for different equipment categories is made in this Board letter according to the criteria outlined in that Guideline with emphasis on the following priorities in order to achieve the highest emission reductions:

• Goods Movement (40 percent allocation)
• Environmental Justice (50 percent allocation)
• Cost Effectiveness
• Low Emission Engine / Vehicle Preference
• Early Commercialization of Advanced Technologies/Fuels
• Fleet Rules
• School Buses

Funding Distribution

As required by AB 1390, the CMP guidelines include the requirement that at least 50% of the program funds must be spent in disproportionately impacted areas. At least half the funding allocated under SB 1107 and collected under AB 923 will be awarded to projects located in disproportionately impacted areas. It has been the policy of the AQMD to allocate at least 50% of all funding available in the CMP, including roll-over funding from previous years and turnback funds to disproportionately impacted areas.

Disproportionately Impacted Areas Point Ranking

The requirements of the CMP will be implemented according to the following criteria.

1. All projects must qualify for the Carl Moyer program by meeting the cost effectiveness limits established in the program announcement.

2. All projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria to qualify for funding as a disproportionately impacted area:

1. Poverty Level: All projects in areas where at least 10 percent of the population falls below the Federal poverty level based on the year 2000 census data, are eligible to be included in this category, and
    
2. PM Exposure: All projects in areas with the highest 15 percent of PM concentration will be eligible to be ranked in this category. The highest 15 percent of PM concentration is 46 micrograms per cubic meter and above, on an annual average, or
    
3. Air Toxics Exposure: All projects in areas with a cancer risk of 1,000 in a million and above (based on Mates II estimates) will be eligible to be ranked in this category.

The maximum score will be comprised of 40 percent for poverty level, and 30 percent each for PM and toxic exposures. Special circumstances exist in some areas, such as the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Since there are no residents within the ports, poverty ranking could not be established. In this case, the poverty ranking from the adjacent on-shore areas were extended to the port since these populated areas are directly impacted by port activities.

Outreach

In accordance with AQMD’s Procurement Policy and Procedure, a public notice advertising the RFP/RFQ and inviting bids will be 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 be notified utilizing the Los Angeles County MTA Directory of Certified Firms, the Inland Area Opportunity Pages Ethnic/Women Business & Professional Directory; and AQMD’s own electronic listing of certified minority vendors. Notice of the RFP/RFQ will be 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 where it can be viewed by making menu selections “Inside AQMD”/“Employment and Business Opportunities”/“Business Opportunities” or by going directly to http://www.aqmd.gov/rfp/index.html). Information is also available on AQMD’s bidder’s 24-hour telephone message line (909) 396-2724.

Benefits to AQMD

The AQMD has supported a number of activities directed to advancement of new technologies and commercialization of low-emission alternative fuel technologies. The successful implementation of the Carl Moyer Program is a direct result of these Technology Advancement activities. The vehicles and equipment funded under this program announcement will operate many years, providing long-term emissions reductions.

Resource Impacts

Total amount of available funds for the Carl Moyer Program under Program Announcement #PA2008-06 is approximately $15 million comprised of approximately $10.6 million from funds under SB 1107 and $4.4 million from funds under AB 923.

Attachments (DOC 1.5mb)

1. Resolution of SCAQMD Board Recognizing and Accepting the Terms and Conditions of the 2007-08 Carl Moyer Grant Award
2. Program Announcement #PA2008-06

RESOLUTION NO. 08-

A Resolution of the South Coast Air Quality Management District Board
 Recognizing and Accepting the Terms and Conditions of the
FY 2007-08 Carl Moyer Grant Award

               WHEREAS, under Health & Safety Code §40400 et seq. the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) is the local agency with the primary responsibility for the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of air pollution control strategies, clean fuels programs and motor vehicle use reduction measures; and

               WHEREAS, the AQMD is authorized by Health & Safety Code §§40402, 40440, and 40448.5 to implement programs to reduce transportation emissions, including programs to encourage the use of alternative fuels and low-emission vehicles; to develop and implement other strategies and measures to reduce air contaminants and achieve the state and federal air quality standards; and

               WHEREAS, the Board has adopted several programs to reduce emissions from on-road and off-road vehicles, as well as emissions from other equipment, including the School Bus Incentive Program and the Carl Moyer Program; and

               WHEREAS, the South Coast Air Quality Management District is designated as an extreme non-attainment area for ozone and as such is required to utilize all feasible means to meet national ambient air quality standards.

               THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, State of California, in regular session assembled on February 1, 2008, does hereby accept the terms and conditions of the 2007-08 (year 10) Carl Moyer Program grant award and recognizes up to $34,482,943 in SB 1107 funds.

               BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Executive Officer is authorized and directed to take all steps necessary to carry out this Resolution.

________________________                                  __________________________
Date                                                                                 Clerk of the Board