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PROPOSAL:

Purchase of an Upper-Air Wind and Temperature Profiler

SYNOPSIS: 

To partially fulfill U.S. EPA Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations (PAMS) seventh year objectives and the Board’s Inland Empire Initiative No. 6, there is a need to purchase one upper-air radar wind and temperature profiler. The profiler will provide valuable information to further characterize the meteorological conditions in Orange County and the transport that leads to high ozone and fine particulates in the Inland Empire. This action is to purchase the upper-air profiler at a cost not to exceed $240,000. Sufficient funds have been identified in the FY 1999-2000 Budget from grants awarded by the U.S. EPA for the PAMS seventh year program.

COMMITTEE: 

Administrative, October 15, 1999, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Chairman to execute a contract with Radian International LLC for the purchase of one radar wind profiler (RWP) and radio acoustic sounding system (RASS) at a total cost not to exceed $240,000.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

As part of the U.S. EPA Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations (PAMS) upper air measurement requirements and the Board’s Inland Empire Initiative No. 6, a need was identified for two upper-air wind and temperature profilers, in addition to the two already maintained by the AQMD. This additional instrumentation will benefit the entire South Coast Air Basin, but will particularly improve air quality forecasting and modeling for the San Bernardino and Riverside counties portion of the Basin. Upper-air wind and temperature monitoring is critical to the determination of daily transport patterns and the capacity to disperse regional smog. Accurate and timely measurements of the vertical wind and temperature structure of the atmospheric boundary layer are essential to the meteorological and air quality modeling necessary for air quality management planning, as well as to meet ongoing air quality forecasting requirements. The radar wind profilers (RWP), with radio acoustic sounding systems (RASS) for vertical temperature profiles, collect hourly data in near real time, at favorable accuracy and cost compared to alternative techniques such as balloon-borne soundings.

The AQMD currently operates two upper-air profiler stations, at the Los Angeles International Airport and the Ontario International Airport. On May 14, 1999, the Governing Board approved the purchase of one new RWP/RASS that will soon be operational in Riverside County. A fourth system will fill the data void in the Orange County area, from which upper air measurements are needed to properly characterize the onshore wind flows and vertical mixing. Upper-air meteorological measurements from Orange County are critical to the characterization of the transport of pollutants and their precursor to the Inland Empire, where the highest ozone and particulate concentrations occur.

Proposal

Staff has identified sufficient funds in the FY 1999-2000 Budget for the purchase of one upper-air wind and temperature profiling system. Upon approval by the Governing Board, installation of the system is expected to take place in the winter of 2000 at a suitable location near Tustin in Orange County. The total cost of the proposed project, not to exceed $240,000, is funded with grant monies allocated by the U.S. EPA seventh year PAMS program as recognized by the Governing Board on October 8, 1999. The purchase of the upper-air RWP/RASS profiler system includes one new Radian International LLC Model LAP-3000 915 MHz radar wind profiler with a radio acoustic sounding system and covers shipping, installation, 1-year warranty, and sales taxes.

Sole Source Justification

Section VIII(B) of the Procurement Policy Procedure identifies four major provisions under which a sole source award may be justified. This request for sole source award is made under provision B.2.d(6): Other circumstances exist which in the determination of the Executive Officer require such waiver in the best interests of the AQMD; specifically, B.2.d(6) projects involving compatibility with existing specialized equipment.

The profiler purchase will be with Radian International LLC, the manufacturer of the AQMD's three existing upper-air wind and temperature profilers. Instrument maintenance, as well as data processing and validation, are critical components in the operation of the upper-air profilers. Instrument compatibility is essential for timely, accurate data processing and analysis. In addition, Radian is the sole U.S. manufacturer of the upper-air profiler system. A copy of the cost quotation is provided in the Attachment.

Resource Impacts

Cost to the AQMD for the purchase of the upper-air wind profiler system will not exceed $240,000. Sufficient funds are available in the FY 1999-2000 Planning, Rule Development and Area Sources Budget from U.S. EPA grants allocated to the AQMD for the seventh year of the PAMS program. The Governing Board recognized these PAMS funds for this purchase on October 8, 1999

Attachment

Cost Proposal

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