BOARD MEETING DATE: April 2, 2010
AGENDA NO. 8

PROPOSAL:

Approve Transfer of Monies from General Fund to Health Effects Research Fund.

SYNOPSIS:

In 2008, the Board established a Health Effects Research Fund initially funded at $1.5 million from the BP Arco Settlement Fund. The Board further authorized, upon annual Board approval, the transfer of 20% of annual penalty money received that exceeds $4 million in receipts to the Health Effects Research Fund. This action is to transfer $1,093,939 of the annual penalty money received in FY 2008-09 to the Health Effects Research Fund.

COMMITTEE:

Administrative, March 12, 2010, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the transfer of $1,093,939 from the General Fund, Undesignated Fund Balance to the Health Effects Research Fund (Fund 48).
 

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

At the June, 2008 meeting, the Board established a Health Effects Research Fund and initially funded it with $1.5 million from the BP Arco Settlement Fund. The Board further authorized, upon annual Board approval, the transfer of 20% of annual penalty money received that exceeds $4 million in receipts to the Health Effects Research Fund. For FY 2008-09, this amount was $1,093,939.

Since 2003, the Board has funded the Brain Tumor and Air Pollution Foundation and the Asthma and Outdoor Air Quality Consortium from penalty revenues. These monies have been used to fund a number of research projects at local universities and research institutions. The initial funding of the Health Effects Research Fund was used to fund research through the Brain and Lung Tumor & Air Pollution Foundation.

Findings from the Brain and Lung Tumor & Air Pollution Foundation funded research indicated that fine particulate exposure is associated with biochemical changes in the brains of laboratory animals that are consistent with the biochemical pattern found in human brain tumors. Another project found preliminary associations of particulate matter levels and the risk of childhood brain tumors. These findings are provocative, but still preliminary, and are being followed up with additional study to better understand the relation of pollution exposure to the risk of contracting brain tumors. One of the hypotheses being tested is whether traffic-related emissions and ultrafine particles may be linked to the changes found in brain tissue and tumor risk.

Through the Asthma and Outdoor Air Quality Consortium, the Board has funded several research projects ranging from laboratory studies to epidemiology studies of air pollution health effects. Results of these projects have provided new information on health effects, including the findings of increased risk for asthma symptoms and lung inflammation in children exposed to traffic related emissions, and new findings of how pollutants can react with cell components to cause injury.

The requested Board action will provide funding to conduct additional health effects research, which may include follow-up on the results described above, and will provide information to better assess the health risks of exposure to air pollutants.

Results from these studies will provide scientific information to inform policy choices for reducing emissions and exposures to pollutants in the South Coast Air Basin.

Proposal

Staff is proposing that the Board authorize the transfer of 20% of annual penalty money received in FY 2008-09 that exceeds $4 million in receipts, which is $1,093,939, to the Health Effects Research Fund.

Resource Impacts

Funds are available from the General Fund, Undesignated Fund Balance.