BOARD MEETING DATE: June 6, 2008
AGENDA NO. 9

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

Authorize the Procurement Manager to execute a purchase order with PANalytical® Corp. for the purchase of an Energy Dispersive XRF Spectrometer System for an amount of $129,900.
 

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

Since 1998, as required by the U.S. EPA, the AQMD has maintained a comprehensive PM2.5 Speciation Program at four core sites. Beyond the U.S. EPA mandated Speciation Trends Network (STN), the AQMD over the years has added several sites to support ongoing short and long term monitoring projects. Furthermore, the intensive multi-year speciation needs of MATES and other special studies have resulted in a need to analyze thousands filters by Energy Dispersive XRF.

In addition, solid and liquid samples from the AQMD’s enforcement staff are frequently submitted for analysis by Energy Dispersive XRF. This heavy XRF workload has created a serious backlog that often resulted in becoming a bottle neck in the speciation analysis throughput. To remedy this problem, the Board, at its November 2007 meeting authorized the release of RFQ #Q2008-11 to competitively solicit bids for the purchase of an Energy Dispersive XRF Spectrometer System.

Proposal

Staff is recommending that the Board approve issuance of a purchase order with PANalytical® Corporation in the amount of $129,900 for the purchase of an Energy Dispersive XRF Spectrometer System. The purchase order amount was considered to be reasonable based upon the technical merit and overall cost package submitted, including annual maintenance warranties, and consumption of parts and consumables.
 

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 has been mailed to the Black and Latino Legislative Caucuses and various minority chambers of commerce and business associations, the State of California Contracts Register website, and placed on the Internet at AQMD’s Web site (http://www.aqmd.gov. Information is also available on AQMD’s bidder’s 24-hour telephone message line (909) 396-2724.

AQMD’s bidder’s 24-hour telephone message line (909) 396-2724.
 

Bid Evaluation

At the close of the solicitation on December 4, 2007, four quotations were received. An evaluation panel was convened to evaluate the bids. The four-member panel consisted of an Associate Research Scientist from Desert Research Institute, an AQMD Principal Air Quality Chemist, a Senior Air Quality Chemist, and an Air Quality Chemist. The panel’s ethnicity and gender breakdown was as follows: one African-American, one Asian; and two Caucasians; one is female and three are male.

Of the four bids submitted, it was determined by the evaluation panel that the instrument configuration quoted by PANalytical^® Corporation was the only one that met the specifications of the RFQ; their bid received the highest overall score of 93.
 

Therefore, staff recommends that the Board authorize the Procurement Manager to issue a purchase order with PANalytical® Corporation for an amount of $129,900 for the purchase of an Energy Dispersive XRF Spectrometer System as configured in the submitted bid.
 

Resource Impacts

The $129,900 cost for the system is in the FY 2007-08 Science and Technology Budget, Capital Outlay Major Object.