Back

PROPOSAL:

Recognize and Appropriate Grant Funds from EPA for Boiler Tune-up Outreach Program

SYNOPSIS:

The EPA has awarded AQMD $100,000 in Small Business Assistance Program funds (Section 507) to coordinate and conduct a multi-agency project demonstrating the effectiveness of using education and outreach to reduce emissions. The proposed project will educate businesses on the air quality and economic benefits of having their boilers tuned up regularly. This multi-agency project is expected to include AQMD, EPA Region IX, the California ARB, and the Small Business Assistance Programs in Hawaii, Nevada, and Arizona. This action is to recognize these funds from EPA upon receipt, and appropriate these funds to the FY 1999-2000 Budget for the Region IX Boiler Tune-up Outreach Program.

COMMITTEE:

Administrative, September 17, 1999. Less than a quorum was present during the discussion of this item. Those Committee Members who were present communicated their concurrence.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

1. Recognize $100,000 in revenue from EPA Section 507 Grant funds for the Boiler Tune-up Outreach Program.

2. Upon receipt of the grant, appropriate $100,000 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to the Public Affairs FY 1999-2000 Budget, as follows: Professional & Specialized Services, $94,000; and Miscellaneous, $6,000.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

In 1990, Congress enacted amendments to the Federal Clean Air Act, including Section 507 Small Business Ombudsman/Small Business Technical Assistance Programs (SBO/SBTAP), which required states to provide outreach and technical assistance to small businesses. The goal was to help states comply with the provisions of the Act. A common problem among all programs has been the lack of adequate funding to develop tools to measure the emissions reductions and behavior changes that result from the education, outreach and technical assistance these programs provide. In response to this problem, Congress authorized EPA to expend a total of one million dollars nationwide to help SBO/SBTAPs develop and implement projects and to measure their results. EPA is providing $100,000 to the AQMD to lead a project to reduce emissions from boilers and water heaters through an education program to be coordinated with other Region IX SBO/SBTAPs. Those SBO/SBTAPs expressing interest in participating in this effort are in Arizona, Hawaii, and Nevada. Public organizations include EPA Region IX, California ARB, and the CAPCOA Small Business Committee. Private sector participants include SEMPRA Energy, Southern California Edison, and Boeing.

AQMD will manage the project that is expected to be completed within 20 months of approval. The total cost of the project is expected to be $195,000: EPA’s $100,000 grant and $95,000 in-kind from participants.

Use of Funds

EPA grant funds will be used for all project costs except salaries and benefits which participants are providing as an in-kind match.

The project will occur in three phases:

1. A pre-outreach survey to identify typical boiler and water heater users and current practices regarding tune-ups of this equipment.

2. An educational outreach effort that will include a 10-month outreach process where business will receive fact sheets on cost savings from boiler tune-ups, information on health effects of air pollution, and information on small business assistance resources, help-line assistance and EPA’s new NOx brochure.

3. A post-outreach survey that will evaluate and quantify the behavior and operational changes implemented by the businesses and quantify the emissions reduced.

Fiscal Impacts

These grant funds are a supplement to the FY 1999-2000 Budget, and as such have no negative impact on the budget. Since the receipt of funds by the AQMD constitutes a budget supplement within the definition of Health and Safety Code Section 40720(j), public notice of this proposed supplement was published in the Los Angeles Daily Journal, Riverside Press Enterprise, Orange County Register, San Bernardino Sun, and the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

/ / /