HomeMy WebLinkAbout03. Authorize a five-year regulatory compliance emissions testing contract with Montrose Air Quality Services, LLC in an amount not to exceed $1,078,000 Page 1 of 3
Item 3.
CENTRAL SAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS
POSITION PAPER
MEETING DATE: JUNE 16, 2022
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE GENERAL MANAGER TO EXECUTE A TECHNICAL
CONSULTING SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH MONTROSE AIR QUALITY
SERVICES, LLC IN AN AMOUNT NOTTO EXCEED $1,078,000 TO PROVIDE
TREATMENT PLANT EMISSIONS TESTING SERVICES FORA FIVE-YEAR
PERIOD COVERING FISCAL YEARS (FY) 2022-27; AND FIND THE
AGREEMENT IS EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITYACT
SUBMITTED BY: INITIATING DEPARTMENT:
RITA CHENG, REGULATORY COMPLIANCE ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL SERVICES-
PROVISIONAL SENIOR ENGINEER ERC-REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
REVIEWED BY: LORI SCHECTEL, ENVIRONMENTALAND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
DIVISION MANAGER
JEAN-MARC PETIT, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERINGAND TECHNICAL
SERVICES
ROGER S. BAILEY, GENERAL MANAGER
Roger S. Bailey
General Manager
ISSUE
The Board of Directors'authorization is required for the General Manager to execute a technical consulting
services agreement in an amount exceeding $200,000.
BACKGROUND
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San) is required to perform annual compliance emissions
testing on the multiple hearth furnaces, cogeneration, and auxiliary boilers in accordance with federal, state,
and local requirements. Although Central San has an onsite laboratory, the Bay Area Air Quality
June 16, 2022 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 31 of 771
Page 2 of 3
Management District (BAAQMD) does not allow a facility to conduct its own compliance tests due to
conflict of interest restrictions and requires the use of third parties to perform compliance emissions
testing in accordance with standardized federal and state testing methods. This applies not only to public
agencies like Central San but also to industrial facilities. Additionally, this type of testing requires a set of
specialized skills and highly specialized equipment, sampling, and testing.
Central San is required to complete several emissions tests on an annual basis to comply with all
applicable regulatory requirements. As required by the Clean AirAct Section 129 Sewage Sludge
Incinerator Regulations, Title V Major Facility Review Permit, and the BAAQMD Permit-to-Operate, the
online multiple hearth furnace is required to complete an annual emissions test to demonstrate compliance
with emission limits for organic compounds, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride, carbon
monoxide, dioxins/furans, nitrogen oxides, mercury, cadmium, and lead. Every five years, the furnaces are
required to test for additional metals to comply with the five-year Title V Major Facility Review Permit
requirement.
Additionally, the treatment plant's Title V Permit and BAAQMD Permit-to-Operate require routine
emissions testing. The cogeneration turbine is required to demonstrate compliance with a carbon
monoxide emission limit annually, and Central San is required to measure formaldehyde emissions after
catalyst replacement, which is currently scheduled for FY 2023-24. The auxiliary steam boilers are
required to demonstrate compliance annually with organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, and carbon
monoxide emission limits.
To cover the funding of any unanticipated air emissions testing services needed to demonstrate
compliance, mitigate a potential compliance issue, and/or prepare for upcoming regulatory requirements,
staff recommends adding a contingency amount in the proposed agreement to cover contingency
emissions testing services. The estimated FY 2023-24 cost includes engineering evaluations and
compliance emissions tests required for installation of the new wet scrubbers on both multiple hearth
furnaces under District Project (DP) 7348: Solids Handling Facility Improvements, Phase 1A. Due to the
uncertain nature of new equipment installation, staff recommends including $186,000 to FY 2023-24
contingency to cover any additional engineering evaluations and compliance testing. Staff is also
proposing to include no more than $26,000 of contingency in each of the remaining fiscal years.
I n March 2022, Central San issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on PlanetBids to select a qualified
emissions testing firm to provide emissions testing services and received proposals from Montrose Air
Quality Services, LLC (Montrose) and Elemental Air, LLC. Staff is also aware of other testing firms in the
local region, but these smaller firms do not have the full capability to perform all the required emissions
testing.
Staff recommends selecting Montrose to perform the proposed emissions testing services considering
Montrose's qualifications, California testing experience, and past performance. Montrose is currently
under contract to provide emissions testing services for FYs 2019-22. The company or its staff currently
holds the following certification or accreditations:
• California Air Resources Board Approval of Independent Contractor Certification;
• Accredited Air Emission Testing Body issued by American Association for Laboratory
Accreditation and Stack Testing Accreditation Council, Inc; and
• Qualified Source Testing Individual issued by Source Evaluation Society
California Environmental Quality Act(CEQA)
Staff has concluded that this agreement is exempt from CEQA under District CEQA Guidelines Section
15301 since it analyzes the performance of an existing public facility. Approval of this agreement will
establish the Board of Directors' independent finding that this project is exempt from CEQA.
June 16, 2022 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 32 of 771
Page 3 of 3
ALTERNATIVES/CONSIDERATIONS
The Board could decide to reject the proposal, but based on the qualifications at this time, staff would
likely not receive additional proposals if the RFP was republished. Therefore, staff does not recommend
this alternative.
A second alternative would be to continue developing individual agreements for each emissions testing
project. However, this approach is not recommended by staff as contract development has proven to be
time-consuming, and there is a lack of qualified, local emissions testing firms that can support Central
San's testing needs.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
The total estimated cost for the agreement is $1,078,000 over a five-year period (FY 2022-27), which
includes $286,000 for contingency emissions testing services. Of the $286,000 contingency, $186,000
was included for FY 2023-24 to cover any potential additional engineering and compliance testing needed
during the new wet scrubber installations. The estimated fiscal year breakdown of the proposed
agreement cost is listed below:
FY 2022-23 Emissions Testing and Contingency Testing: $119,000
FY 2023-24 Emissions Testing and Contingency Testing: $586,000*
FY 2024-25 Emissions Testing and Contingency Testing: $122,000
FY 2025-26 Emissions Testing and Contingency Testing: $124,000
FY 2026-27 Emissions Testing and Contingency Testing: $127,000
FY2022-27 ESTIMATED TOTAL: $1,078,000
*The costs of the furnace pre-testing and compliance emissions tests needed for the new wet scrubbers
are included as part of FY 2023-24 and will be capitalized under D P 7348. The remaining scope items in
the agreement will be funded by the Environmental and Regulatory Compliance Division under the
Regulatory Compliance Section's FYs 2022-27 budgets.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Engineering & Operations Committee reviewed this subject at its June 1, 2022 meeting and
recommended approval.
RECOMMENDED BOARD ACTION
Staff recommends the following Board actions:
1. Find the agreement is exempt from CEQA; and
2. Authorize the General Manager to execute a technical consulting services agreement in an amount
not to exceed $1,078,000 with Montrose Air Quality Services, LLC to provide emissions testing
services for a five-year period (FYs 2022-27).
Stratedc Plan Tie-In
GOAL TWO:Environmental Stewardship
Strategy 1—Achieve 100%compliance in all regulations, Strategy 2—Anticipate and prepare for potential regulatory
changes
June 16, 2022 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 33 of 771