BOARD MEETING DATE: December 3, 2010
AGENDA NO. 13
PROPOSAL:
Recognize Funds, Approve School Bus Replacement Grants and Issue Program Announcement for School Bus Retrofits
SYNOPSIS:
U.S. EPA has awarded $1,065,465 to the AQMD for assistance with school bus replacement projects. Furthermore, AQMD has now received the remaining balance of the Proposition 1B-School Bus Program funds. These actions are to recognize funds from the U.S. EPA, approve awards for 128 CNG and 18 propane school bus replacements in an amount not to exceed $23,769,072 from the Proposition 1B and the AB 923 funds and to issue a Program Announcement to provide funding assistance for retrofit of school buses with PM trap filters.
COMMITTEE:
Technology, November 19, 2010, Recommended for Approval
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
Recognize $1,065,465 in U.S. EPA funds for School Bus Replacements and place the funds in the Lower Emission School Bus Program Fund (33).
Authorize the Chairman to execute contracts with the following public school districts to replace 128 pre-1994 two-stroke diesel school buses with new CNG buses and infrastructure in an amount not to exceed $21,699,072, comprised of $20,633,607 from the Carl Moyer Program AB 923 Fund (80) and $1,065,465 from the U.S. EPA Funds in the Lower-Emission School Bus Program Fund (33):
Bonita, 1 CNG bus in an amount not to exceed $169,524;
Los Angeles Unified, 70 CNG buses in an amount not to exceed $11,866,680;
Pupil Transportation, 10 CNG buses in an amount not to exceed $1,695,240;
Garden Grove, 13 CNG buses in an amount not to exceed $2,203,812;
Orange, 4 CNG buses in an amount not to exceed $678,096;
Banning, 1 CNG bus in an amount not to exceed $169,524;
Desert Sands, 8 CNG buses in an amount not to exceed $1,356,192;
Hemet, 2 CNG buses in an amount not to exceed $339,048;
Temecula, 8 CNG buses in an amount not to exceed $1,356,192;
Chino Valley, 7 CNG buses in an amount not to exceed $1,186,668; and
Rialto, 4 CNG buses in an amount not to exceed $678,096
Authorize the Chairman to award Los Angeles Unified School District 18 propane school buses to replace pre-87 buses in an amount not to exceed $2,070,000 comprised of $1,350,000 from the Proposition 1B-School Bus Fund (82) and $720,000 from the Carl Moyer Program AB 923 Fund (80).
Approve issuance of Program Announcement PA #2011-05 to retrofit school buses with CARB verified Level 3 PM traps.
Authorize the Chairman to amend an award to Tumbleweed Transportation approved on May 7, 2010, for addition of $126,000 from the Proposition 1B-School Bus Program Fund (82) to retrofit 18 school buses with active rather than passive Level 3 PM traps.
Authorize the Chairman to amend a grant with Rim of the World School District to substitute the funding for a pre-1977 school bus award in the amount of $140,000 from the Proposition 1B-School Bus Program Fund with the same amount from the Carl Moyer Program AB 923 Fund (80).
Approve correction of an inadvertent typographic error by changing the total award amount to Temecula School District for the purchase of 7 new CNG buses approved on May 7, 2010, from $1,101,082 to $1,121,082 without any addition of new funds.
Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer
Background
Earlier in 2010, the AQMD applied for and was recently awarded $1,065,465 to replace older diesel school buses with new CNG buses under the US EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program.
In addition, CARB has allocated a total of $71,179,635 to the AQMD as its share of the Proposition 1B - Lower Emission School Bus Program. These funds were disbursed to SCAQMD in four installments and are comprised of $68,891,497 in project funds and $2,288,138 in administrative funds. To date the AQMD has awarded 393 new alternative fuel school buses and 695 Level 3 particulate traps in the amount of $81,831,800, comprised of $65,873,876 in Proposition 1B-School Bus Program funds and $15,957,924 in Carl Moyer Program AB 923 funds. CARB recently provided the remaining balance of these school bus funds.
Proposal
Staff proposes utilizing the EPA DERA funds in conjunction with Carl Moyer AB 923 funds to replace 128 pre-1994 two stroke diesel school buses from proposals received through our December 2008 school bus solicitation. This action is to recognize the EPA DERA funds and replace 128 pre-1994 two stroke diesel school buses with new CNG buses as shown in Table 1. The funding shall not exceed $21,699, 072, comprised of $20,633,607 from the Carl Moyer Program AB 923 Fund (80) and $1,065,465 from the Lower-Emission School Bus Program Fund (33) contributed by the U.S. EPA.
As part of the same December 2008 solicitation for the Proposition 1B - Lower Emission School Bus Program, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) had applied for purchase of new propane buses, but the request was placed in a backup list due to lack of funds. This action is to now award LAUSD 18 new propane school buses and infrastructure for replacement of pre-1987 buses, as shown in Table 2, in an amount not to exceed $2,070,000, comprised of $1,350,000 in Proposition 1B-School Bus Program funds and $720,000 in Carl Moyer Program AB 923 funds.
To expend the remaining balance of the Proposition 1B-School Bus Program funds, totaling close to $2 million, staff also recommends the Board’s approval for issuance of Program Announcement PA #2011-05 for soliciting applications for additional PM traps for school buses.
The other actions are to amend an award to Tumbleweed Transportation approved on May 7, 2010, for an additional $126,000 from the Proposition 1B-School Bus Program Fund (82) to retrofit 18 school buses with active rather than passive Level 3 PM traps; to amend a grant with Rim of the World School District to substitute the funding for a pre-1977 school bus award in the amount of $140,000 from the Proposition 1B-School Bus Program Fund with the same amount from the Carl Moyer Program AB 923 Fund (80); and finally to approve the correction of an inadvertent typographic error by changing the total award amount to Temecula School District for the purchase of 7 new CNG buses approved on May 7, 2010, from $1,101,082 to $1,121,082 without the addition of new funds.
Outreach
In accordance with AQMD’s Procurement Policy and Procedure, a public notice advertising the Program Announcement 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. The Program Announcement was also mailed directly to the Directors of Transportation at public school districts within the AQMD’s jurisdiction.
Additionally, potential bidders may have been notified utilizing AQMD’s own electronic listing of certified minority vendors. Notice of the Program Announcement has been mailed to the Black and Latino Legislative Caucuses and various minority chambers of commerce and business associations, and placed on the Internet at AQMD’s website (http://www.aqmd.gov. Information is also available on AQMD’s bidder’s 24-hour telephone message line (909) 396-2724.
Benefits to AQMD
The successful implementation of the Lower-Emission School Bus Replacement and Retrofit Program will provide less polluting and safer school transportation for school children and will reduce public exposure to toxic diesel particulate matter emissions. In addition, these awards comply with AB 1390 requirements, such that it would reduce air pollution in low-income, high-diesel and high-PM10 exposure areas as well as enhance the objectives of the Environmental Justice and Children’s Health Initiatives adopted by the AQMD Board.
Resource Impacts
Total funding for the proposed projects shall not exceed $23,769,072, comprised of $1,350,000 from the Proposition 1B - Lower Emission School Bus Program Fund (82), $21,353,607 from the Carl Moyer Program AB 923 Fund (80), and $1,065,465 from the U.S. EPA to be placed in the Lower-Emission School Bus Program Fund (33).
Attachments (ZIP, 650k)
Table 1: Recommended Awards for Replacement of Pre-1994 Two Stroke Diesel School Buses
Table 2: Recommended Awards to LAUSD for Replacement of Pre-1987 School Buses with New Propane Buses
PA #2011-05: Program Announcement PA #2011-05 for PM Trap Retrofits