SUBJECT:
Title
Air Quality Monitoring Program - Consideration of Two Resolutions:
1. A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Erie Approving a Professional Services Agreement with Boulder A.I.R. LLC for Air Quality Monitoring
2. A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Erie Approving a Professional Services Agreement with Ajax Analytics for Air Quality Monitoring
Body
DEPARTMENT: Environmental Services
PRESENTER: David Frank, Director of Environmental Services
FISCAL SUMMARY:
Cost as Recommended:
BoulderAIR Contract: $113,620.00
Ajax Analytics Contract: $291,631.00
Total New Contract Amount: $405.251.00
Balance Available (subject to the approval of the 2025 budget): $525,000.00
Budget Line Item Number: 100-25-115-560100-000000
New Appropriation Required (subject to the approval of the 2025 budget):$405.251.00
POLICY ISSUES:
Air quality monitoring should be provided by the State, because air pollutants don’t respect jurisdictional boundaries. However, the State does not adequately fund this activity and as a result the Town implemented this program three years ago. The data from the program has been valuable in helping identify impacts from oil and gas operations both inside Erie’s boundaries and from outside, from the Front Range Regional Landfill, and from other pollution sources. This data has enable Town staff to provide compelling information to State regulatory agencies, making the industry more aware of their impact on air quality in Erie, and promoting more effective responses to minimize pollution.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends approving the resolutions to continue air quality monitoring services for the first half of 2025.
End
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
In May 2021, the Board approved funding for and deployment of Air Quality Monitoring stations to be operated by Boulder AIR and Ajax/CSU which would gather data regarding air quality in Erie. This monitoring is intended to compliment and coordinate with air quality monitoring programs conducted by the City and County of Broomfield, City of Longmont, and Boulder County. The initial contracts included monitoring through the calendar year 2023. Staff proposes continuing these services for six months through June 2025.
Following three full years of data collection, staff is considering scaling back the program to better fit Town Council priorities. It is not feasible nor economically wise to continue large scale data collection on air quality when much of the data are representative of regional data collected by the State of Colorado and other adjacent local governments.
The 2025 Proposed Budget includes $119,749 for continuation of portions of the program from July though the end of the year. A study session to analyze the effectiveness of the program’s elements to date and what portions of the program should continue will be held in early 2025 to determine overall funding and second half 2025 contracts.
The combined program for Erie using both contractors consist of the following elements:
• An Anchor Site operated by Boulder A.I.R. providing reference grade continuous monitoring of Ozone, specific VOCs, Methane, particulates, and meteorological variables. View reporting from Boulder A.I.R.’s AirLive Combined Northern Colorado Front Range website and includes data from the Erie Community Center station: <https://www.bouldair.com/NoCoFrontRange.htm>
• Ten apis (<https://www.apis-aq.com/product-information/>) sensors operated by Ajax/CSU deployed at locations shown in the attached illustrations, with sensors located west of Kenosha Farms, two north of the Colliers Hill neighborhood near the Mae J/Papa Jo/Yellowhammer pads, three around the Front Range Landfill and near the Coyote well pad, and near Red Hawk Elementary School. These monitors provide continuous monitoring of total VOCs and auto-triggered canister sampling if total VOCs exceed specified levels. These stations also provide continuous monitoring of particulates and NO/NO2. Ajax/CSU also operates a mobile plume tracking vehicle that can be deployed up to 12 times each year to identify and track specific emission plumes. Finally, Ajax/CSU also supplies the Town with up to two grab canisters per month to deploy in other locations and analysis of samples taken with those canisters. The Ajax data are available at <https://www.ajax-analytics.com/erie> with quarterly reports available by clicking the Quarterly Reports tab and selecting Erie Community Monitoring in the upper right.
The apis TVOC sensors detect increases and decreases of a group of more than 900 volatile organic compounds. This indicator measurement does not identify which compounds are in the air, nor exactly how many parts per billion (ppb) are in the air at any given point. What these sensors do show are how VOC levels change on a minute-by-minute basis during different types of activities happening in an area. If the TOVC Indicator detects total VOCs above certain levels, it triggers a sample that is then analyzed for specific compounds at the ppb level.
Services and Statements of Work provided remain unchanged from the original contracts and agreements from May 2021.
COUNCIL PRIORITY(S) ADDRESSED:
ü Engaged and Diverse Community
ü Safe and Healthy Community
ü Effective Governance
ü Environmentally Sustainable
ü Fiscally Responsible
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution 24-173 authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement with BoulderAIR
2. BoulderAIR Contract and SOW
3. BoulderAIR 2024 Operation Summary Report
4. Resolution 24-174 authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement with Ajax Analytics
5. Ajax Contract and SOW
6. Ajax 2024 Operation Summary Report