BOARD MEETING DATE: June 6, 2008
AGENDA NO. 14
PROPOSAL:
Cosponsor Research and Demonstration Projects with CARB
SYNOPSIS:
CARB research staff has requested cosponsoring on two projects including a health effects research project and an electric transit bus demonstration project. The health effects project will estimate in-vehicle pollutant exposure on freeways and major surface streets and the demonstration project will develop a commercially viable battery electric transit bus with 300 mile range. This action is to execute an agreement to cosponsor the health effects project and execute a contract to cosponsor the battery-electric bus demonstration project in an amount not to exceed $540,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund. The total cost of these projects is $2,785,000, which provides an overall cost-share of 19 percent.
COMMITTEE:
Technology, May 16, 2008. Less than a quorum was present for the discussion of this item; the committee members recommended that this item be forwarded for Board consideration with no approval or disapproval recommendation from the Committee
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
Authorize the Chairman to:
- Execute an agreement with the California Air Resources Board to conduct a research project on “In-vehicle Air Pollution Exposure Assessment of Pregnant Women in the National Children’s Study,” in an amount not to exceed $250,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund, and
- Execute a contract with ISE Corporation to develop and demonstrate a battery electric transit bus in an amount not to exceed $290,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund.
Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer
Background
AQMD and CARB have historically worked together on research and demonstration projects to quantify the effects of air pollution as well as develop advanced, emission reduction technologies. Due to the limited availability of state funds, CARB has requested cosponsoring from the AQMD for two research and demonstration projects which have been identified as having cobenefits for the South Coast Air Basin.
Proposal
In-Vehicle Air Pollution Exposure Assessment of Pregnant Women in the National Children's Study.
The University of California, Irvine proposes to measure and model in-vehicle concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, black carbon, and PM2.5 on freeways and major surface streets in the Los Angeles/Orange County area and the San Bernardino/Riverside County area. These concentration results will be used to develop models of in-transit vehicle exposure to study the impacts of key air pollutants during pregnancy on birth outcomes or childhood occurrence of respiratory diseases and allergies. Five major tasks are proposed for this study: 1) analysis of in-cabin pollutant concentrations by vehicle type and vehicle age during typical Southern California driving conditions; 2) factors contributing to in-vehicle pollutant concentrations; 3) estimation of PM2.5 emission factors based on roadway and urban background site measurements and CO2 based dilution adjustments; 4) development of in-vehicle exposure models for measured air pollutants; and 5) validation of in-vehicle exposure models for black carbon against subject measurements under representative driving conditions.
Battery Electric Transit Bus with 300 Mile Range.
ISE Corporation (ISE) proposes to develop and demonstrate the first commercially viable forty foot battery electric transit bus with 300 mile range and recharge time of less than four hours. ISE has pioneered several heavy duty electric and hybrid-electric vehicles. A 750kWh lithium battery pack with a fully integrated energy storage system will be developed to meet the 2.5 kWh/mile bus demand. This battery will be incorporated in the electric drive system and performance optimized in various terrains and temperatures, using a North American Bus Industries (NABI) bus chassis. ISE will be partnering with Siemens for the electric drive system optimization and Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LAMTA) for the chassis and maintenance support. Lithium battery pack development will begin in 2008, bus drive system integration and testing in 2009, and project completion in 2010.
Benefits to AQMD
The health effects project will estimate exposure in pregnant women and be one of the first studies enabling researchers to directly study the relationship between in-vehicle air pollutant exposure and health outcomes. The in-transit exposure models developed from this study can be used to estimate pollutant exposure for subjects in the National Children's Study Orange County cohort and the Environment Pregnancy Outcomes Study Los Angeles cohort, among other study populations.
The electric bus demonstration project, if successful, will result in significant NOx and PM emission reductions by providing a viable option for transit agencies to comply with the state Zero Emission Bus regulation starting in 2015.
Sole Source Justification
Section VIII.B.2 of the Procurement Policy and Procedures identifies four major provisions under which a sole source award may be justified. This request for two sole source awards is made under B.2.d (1): Projects including cost sharing by multiple sponsors. These projects are being developed in partnership with CARB which is a major contributing sponsor. In addition, for the bus demonstration project, ISE, LAMTA, Calstart, and others are sharing the project cost.
Resource Impacts
Total cost for the research project is $500,000. The AQMD's share of the cost will not exceed $250,000 and is detailed below. Total cost for the bus demonstration project is $2,285,000. The AQMD’s share of the cost will not exceed $290,000 and is detailed below. Total cost for both projects is $2,785,000.
| Cost-Share | Health-Effects Study | Battery Electric Bus |
| CARB | $250,000 | $290,000 |
| AQMD | $250,000 | $290,000 |
| ISE | $770,000 | |
| LAMTA | $275,000 | |
| CalStart | $475,000 | |
| Others | $185,000 | |
| TOTAL | $500,000 | $2,285,000 |
Sufficient AQMD funds are available in the Clean Fuels Fund, which is established as special revenue from the state-mandated Clean Fuels Program. The Clean Fuels Program, under Health and Safety Code Sections 40448.5 and 40512 and Vehicle Code Section 9250.11, establishes mechanisms to collect revenues from stationary and mobile sources to support projects to increase the utilization of clean fuels, including the development of the necessary advanced enabling technologies. Funds collected from motor vehicles are restricted, by statute, to be used for projects and program activities related to mobile sources. Likewise, funds collected from stationary sources must be used for projects and program activities related to stationary sources that support the objective of the Clean Fuels Program.