BOARD MEETING DATE: October 2, 2009
AGENDA NO. 6
PROPOSAL:
Execute Contract with Aerospace Corporation to Develop, Deploy and Demonstrate Light Detection and Ranging Technology for Remote Sensing of Fugitive Dust Emissions from Stationary Sources
SYNOPSIS:
Fugitive dust emissions are a major source of PM10 and PM2.5 in the South Coast Air Basin. It is often difficult to identify specific fugitive dust emission points or areas within large facilities such as cement plants, construction sites, or aggregate mines. Aerospace Corporation is a federally funded research and development center that has developed and deployed Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) for other applications. This action is to transfer funds within the General Fund and execute a contract with Aerospace Corporation for an amount not to exceed $45,056 to conduct a pilot study of this new application of LIDAR technology.
COMMITTEE:
Administrative, September 18, 2009, Recommended for Approval
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
- Transfer $45,056 from the Capital Outlays Major Object, Capital Outlays Account to the Services & Supplies Major Object, Professional and Special Services Account within the Science & Technology Advancement FY2009-10 Budget.
- Authorize the Procurement Manager to execute a sole source contract with Aerospace Corporation for an amount not to exceed $45,056 to conduct a pilot study using Light Detection and Ranging technology to detect fugitive dust emissions.
Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer
Background
Fugitive dust emissions are a major source of PM10 and PM2.5 in the South Coast Air Basin. Existing AQMD rules address fugitive dust emissions through best management practices, inspections, surveillance, and air sampling. Fugitive dust may also contain substances which are criteria pollutants (lead) or air toxics (hexavalent chromium). Emissions of these substances are also addressed through industry or pollutant specific AQMD rules. However, in cases where recurring violations or problems occur, it is often difficult to identify specific fugitive dust emission points or dust generating activities within large facilities which are leading to the higher dust emissions. The identification of such activities is essential for the mitigation of recurring dust emissions.
The Aerospace Corporation (Aerospace) is a private, nonprofit, and federally funded research and development center headquartered in El Segundo, California. Among other activities, Aerospace has developed several transportable Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) monitors for measuring concentrations of atmospheric pollutants, including dust. The transportable nature of the LIDAR has made it an attractive option for use by air quality agencies in the investigation of fugitive dust sources. Recent studies have demonstrated that the LIDAR can easily map multiple sources of atmospheric dust such as road emissions, agricultural activities, and various industrial operations simultaneously. Potential AQMD applications include monitoring for dust emissions at cement plants, mining operations, construction sites, and lead smelting operations.
Proposal
Under this proposed contract, Aerospace will provide one of its transportable LIDAR systems to monitor dust emissions from a selected AQMD-permitted facility for several days or more. This LIDAR monitoring will be conducted remotely from outside of the facility fenceline up to three miles away. Aerospace will provide processing and analysis of the data and deliver the results to AQMD both electronically and as a report. This study will serve to demonstrate the feasibility of using LIDAR systems on a wider scale or on an as-needed basis to address recurring fugitive emissions from dust generating facilities. The contract will include significant cost-sharing, as the costs of production of a new LIDAR system are being provided by Aerospace. AQMD funds will be used for site preparation, deployment, monitoring, data processing analysis, and reporting of results. Therefore, this action is to transfer funds and execute a sole source contract with Aerospace Corporation for an amount not to exceed $45,056 to conduct a pilot study of this new application of LIDAR technology.
Funds to carry out this project have been identified within the current Science & Technology Advancement FY 2009-10 Budget. As shown in the following table, cost savings in the Capital Outlay account have been identified through a lower than expected bid from manufacturers and through the identification of less expensive non-fixed asset alternatives. With the availability of $45,056 in the Capital Outlay Account, this action is proposed to transfer $45,056 from the Capital Outlay Account to the Professional and Special Services Account within the FY 2009-10 Science & Technology Advancement Budget.
| Capital Outlay Item Description | Quantity | Original FY2009-10 Budgeted Amount | Purchase Price | Net Savings |
| Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer | 1 | $170,000 | $154,944 | $15,056 |
| High-resolution Color Digital Camera Systems | 3 | $30,000 | $0 (alternative purchased as non-fixed assets) |
$30,000 |
| Total | $200,000 | $154,944 | $45,056 |
Sole Source Justification
A sole source award is authorized under Sections IV.B. of the Procurement Policy and Procedure when a purchase does not lend itself to substitution. Section VIII.B.2 of the Procurement Policy and Procedure identifies four major provisions under which a sole source award may be justified.
The request for a sole source contract with Aerospace Corporation is made under Sections VIII.B.2.c(1), VIII.B.2.c(3) and VIII.B.2.d(8) of the Procurement Policy and Procedure; the unique experience and capabilities of the proposed contractor, the contractor has ownership of key assets required for project performance, and the fact that this is a research and development effort with a nonprofit organization.
Aerospace Corporation is uniquely positioned to demonstrate the LIDAR technology that they have themselves developed. This includes the complex data processing and analysis software that they have applied to similar applications. As part of this project, they will be building a new LIDAR unit to dedicate to the current and future needs of AQMD. Both the software and the new LIDAR unit are key assets for this project. Aerospace is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), an independent nonprofit entity sponsored and funded by the U.S. government to meet specific long-term technical needs.
Resource Impacts
The costs associated with this contract will be covered within the FY 2009-10 Science & Technology Advancement Budget through a reallocation of funds.