PROPOSAL:
Amend Contract with Ecotek, MST Solutions, Inc. for Privatization of
Portions of Annual Emissions Reporting Program
SYNPOSIS:
In January 2005, the Board approved a contract with Ecotek, MST
Solutions, Inc. for continuation of privatization of portions of the
Annual Emissions Reporting (AER) Program. Ecotek has developed,
maintained, and updated the emissions reporting software, produced and
distributed reporting materials (forms and instructions); provided public
outreach and assistance; collected and compiled reported data; and
conducted data quality control. Based on Ecotek’s responsiveness and
satisfactory performance, staff recommends exercising the first of three
one-year renewal options in Ecotek’s contract for an amount not to exceed
$340,000.
COMMITTEE:
Administrative, January 13, 2006, Recommended for Approval
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
- Approve the transfer of $125,000 from the Air Toxics “Hot Spots”
Fund to the General Fund.
- Recognize $125,000 of revenue in the General Fund and appropriate
$125,000 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to the Planning, Rule
Development, and Area Source Professional and Special Services Account.
- Authorize the Executive Officer to amend the existing contract with
Ecotek, MST Solutions, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $340,000 to
exercise the first-year renewal option for privatization of portions of
2005-2006 Annual Emissions Reporting Program.
Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer
Background
Under AQMD’s Annual Emission Reporting (AER) Program, approximately 2,700
facilities report their emissions annually and pay emission fees in
accordance with Rule 301(e) requirements. Privatization of portions of the
AER program in the past ten years has significantly enhanced the overall
program efficiency; has improved services to the facilities as well as the
data quality; and has also enabled AQMD staff to more effectively conduct
engineering audits of the annual emission reports and provide support for
other AQMD programs. The portions of the AER program that have been
privatized include: 1) revision of emission and fee reporting forms and
instructions, 2) providing software and paper forms reporting options, 3)
preparing and distributing emission reporting packages to facilities subject
to the program, 4) providing public outreach and assistance in filing the
annual emission reports, 5) receiving the reports and compilation of
emission and fee data files, 6) conducting data quality control, and 7)
transferring data files to the District for inclusion in the District’s
central database. Actual collection of annual emission fees, billing
adjustments, and auditing the reported data continue to be handled by AQMD
staff.
Beginning with the year 2000-2001 reporting cycle, the AER program has
also incorporated the toxic emissions reporting requirements of the Air
Toxics “Hot Spots” (AB2588) program to further streamline the reporting
process. As such, facilities subject to the AB2588 program are required to
submit their quadrennial toxics emissions inventory report under the AER
Program. Consolidation of the AB2588 toxics emission inventory reporting
requirement into the AER program has improved the toxics emissions data
quality and minimized the required resources by both facilities and the AQMD.
During the last ten years, Ecotek, MST Solutions, Inc. has successfully
performed all the required tasks as specified in the contract. The updated
reporting software, developed by Ecotek to accommodate the consolidated
toxics/criteria reporting, has been well-received and has been utilized by
more than 86% of all subject facilities. The reporting software has greatly
reduced reporting errors and improved data quality. In addition, Ecotek has
utilized and developed software and data base systems to support the
software reporting system (i.e., data-entry software for entering, managing,
and checking reported data as well as export utilities to generate databases
for AQMD use). Ecotek has also suggested and incorporated several
improvements to the program every year based on lessons learned from the
previous year, provided excellent customer service for the reporting
facilities, and maintained a very good working relationship with AQMD staff.
In January 2005, in response to competitive biddings, the Board awarded a
new contract to Ecotek for continuation of privatization of portions of the
2004-2005 AER Program. Under this contract, AQMD reserves the right to renew
the contract for three additional one-year periods and to renegotiate the
contract amounts for the optional years based upon changed requirements
and/or approved funds. This action authorizes the Executive Officer to
exercise the first-year of three one-year renewal options.
Proposal
Based on Ecotek's experience, satisfactory performance, and
responsiveness to program needs, staff recommends that the Board authorize
exercising the first of three possible one-year renewal options for Ecotek's
contract.
Funding of up to $215,000 has been budgeted for privatization of portions
of the 2005-06 AER program for the FY 2005-06 Budget. The balance of the
funding ($125,000) will be transferred from the Air Toxics “Hot Spots” Fund
to the Planning, Rule Development, and Area Sources Professional and Special
Service Account. The $125,000 funding for AB2588 facilities is proportional
to the magnitude of the toxic emissions data reported by these facilities,
as well as the level of effort required by the contractor for developing
software, providing support, and processing data to accommodate the
reporting requirements of the AB2588 program.
Resource Impacts
Existing AQMD resources are sufficient for overseeing this contract.
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