BOARD MEETING DATE: May 7, 2010
AGENDA NO. 6

PROPOSAL:

Issue Program Announcement for Low-Emission Leaf Blower Vendors

SYNOPSIS:

To follow up on the successful Leaf Blower Exchange Programs, staff proposes to offer similar incentive in the fall of 2010 to generate cost-effective emission reductions. This action is to issue a Program Announcement to solicit competitive bids from manufacturers of low-emission leaf blowers in sufficient quantities at the lowest possible price. 

COMMITTEE:

Mobile Source, April 16, 2010. Less than a quorum was present for this meeting; the Committee Members gave their concurrence and recommended that this item be forwarded for Board consideration. 

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Approve issuance of Program Announcement and Application PA #2010-09 to identify potential manufacturers/suppliers of low-emission/low-noise backpack leaf blowers capable of providing up to 1,500 units.
 

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

Rule 2202 Air Quality Investment Program (AQIP) allows affected employers to participate by electing to invest in an AQMD-administered restricted fund. Investment can be either $60 annually per employee reporting to the worksite during the 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. peak window, or $125 triennially per employee. The restricted monies are to be used by the AQMD to fund projects that achieve mobile source emission reductions that would otherwise have been achieved by implementing a rideshare program.

Upon registering under this option and submitting the designated investment amount, an employer is considered to be in compliance with the Rule, and there is no need for the employer to take further action to reduce mobile source emissions. The collected monies are used to fund projects that reduce mobile source emissions in a cost-effective manner.

Proposal

Since 2006, the AQMD has conducted leaf blower exchange programs annually to encourage professional gardeners and landscapers operating within the AQMD’s four-county jurisdiction to turn in their old, polluting backpack leaf blowers and purchase new, low-emission/low-noise leaf blowers at a reduced price. The programs have been very successful, resulting in the exchange of 6,000 leaf blowers. The leaf blower offered was the only model certified by CARB to have emission levels below the “Blue Sky Series” voluntary standards. The Blue Sky Series voluntary standards for hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides are set at a level 50 percent lower than the current emission standards for leaf blowers that qualify for sale in California.

The purpose of Program Announcement #2010-09 is to solicit competitive proposals from qualified contractors for the production and supply of between 1,000 and 1,500 low-emission/low-noise backpack leaf blowers for the AQMD’s 2009 Leaf Blower Exchange Program. In addition to other criteria, to qualify for consideration, the proposed leaf blower must meet the CARB Blue Sky Series emission standards.

AQMD staff will evaluate the proposals based on, but not limited to, the CARB-certified emission levels of the engine, leaf blower noise levels, product specifications, availability, production capacity, lead time, price of the product, and the degree to which the contractor will provide additional services for advertising, organizing and conducting the exchange events. 

Outreach

In accordance with AQMD’s Procurement Policy and Procedure, a public notice advertising the RFP/RFQ and inviting bids will be 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. 

Additionally, potential bidders may be notified utilizing AQMD’s own electronic listing of certified minority vendors. Notice of the RFP/RFQ will be 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 where it can be viewed by making menu selections “Inside AQMD”/“Employment and Business Opportunities”/“Business Opportunities” or by going directly to http://www.aqmd.gov/rfp/index.html). Information is also available on AQMD’s bidder’s 24-hour telephone message line (909) 396-2724.

Resource Impact

Amount of funding will be determined after the selection of a contractor from the submitted proposals. Funding will be provided from the Rule 2202 AQIP Special Revenue Fund.

Attachment (DOC, 490k)

Program Announcement and Application PA #2010-09