National Park Service and MTDEQ Grant for Air Quality Monitoring in Yellowstone National Park

This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service�s intention to fund the following project activities without full and open competition.

ABSTRACT
Funding Announcement Number NPS-#P11AC10290
Project Title Air Quality Monitoring- Yellowstone National Park/MTDEQ
Recipient State of Montana, Department of Environmental Quality
Principle Investigator / Program Manager Roy Renkin-ATR

Total Anticipated Award Amount 28,800.00
Cost Share None Required
New Award or Continuation? New Award under Cooperative Agreement, P11AC10290
Anticipated Length of Agreement Through May 31, 2015
Anticipated Period of Performance Through May 31, 2015
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 16 U.S.C. �1g
CFDA # and Title 15.227 Distribution of Receipts to State & Local Government
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited #4 � Unique Qualifications
NPS Point of Contact Tina Holland

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OVERVIEW, RECIPIENT AND NPS SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT

The NPS will provide a trace level nitrogen oxides analyzer, calibrator, and zero air source. This equipment will be operated by MTDEQ at the Wet Yellowstone park entrance under the same terms as the CO and PM-2.5 monitors with the exception that MTDEQ will not provide repair parts for the NPS equipment. NPS will provide the NO2 calibration gas and repair parts for the NOx analyzer.

MTDEQ will provide the carbon monoxide monitor and the Beta-attenuation mass (BAM) monitor, as well as a shelter, telephone service, all required consumables and supplies, and the necessary labor for equipment maintenance and repair. MTDEQ will supply necessary repair parts for the BAM, shelter, data logger, and wind instrumentation. NPS and MTDEQ agree that the existing CO monitor is approaching the end of its useful lifetime and the point where practical repair will no longer be possible. MTDEQ will continue to provide repair parts for the existing CO monitor as long as it is practical to do so. When it is no longer practical to do so, as determined by mutual consent between NPS and MTDEQ, NPS will provide a replacement CO monitor and will provide spare parts for that monitor from that time forward. MTDEQ will continue to provide labor to repair the replacement monitor as requested by the NPS. MTDEQ staff will operate the continuous CO and PM2.5 monitors and check vital parameters to ensure proper operation, perform zero and span checks on the CO monitor to assure proper calibration, and perform flow checks on the PM2.5 monitor. Under this Agreement, MTDEQ will perform all data collection, data quality control, and data quality assurance activities.

NPS will use the data derived from this air quality monitoring effort to correlate with vehicle emissions and numbers and types of vehicles to determine if the park�s winter use management is meeting its goals relating to air quality.

SINGLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
SINGLE SOURCE POLICY REQUIREMENTS

Department of the Interior Policy (505 DM 2) requires a written justification which explains why competition is not practicable for each single-source award. The justification must address one or more of the following criteria as well as discussion of the program legislative history, unique capabilities of the proposed recipient, and cost-sharing contribution offered by the proposed recipient, as applicable.

In order for an assistance award to be made without competition, the award must satisfy one or more of the following criteria:

(1)Unsolicited Proposal � The proposed award is the result of an unsolicited assistance application which represents a unique or innovative idea, method, or approach which is not the subject of a current or planned contract or assistance award, but which is deemed advantageous to the program objectives;

(2)Continuation � The activity to be funded is necessary to the satisfactory completion of, or is a continuation of an activity presently being funded, and for which competition would have a significant adverse effect on the continuity or completion of the activity;

(3)Legislative intent � The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress� intent to restrict the award to a particular recipient of purpose;

(4)Unique Qualifications � The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as location, property ownership, voluntary support capacity, cost-sharing ability if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications;

(5)Emergencies � Program/award where there is insufficient time available (due to a compelling and unusual urgency, or substantial danger to health or safety) for adequate competitive procedures to be followed.

The National Park Service awarded this agreement Teton County Weed and Pest District based on the following exception.
(4) Unique Qualifications �
The National Park Service and the State of Montana have been working together for more than a decade to better understand winter and summer air quality in and near Yellowstone National Park. NPS winter planning over the past decade has called for an adaptive management strategy to determine if goals related to park resources and values are being met, and make adjustments in management if they are not. Fundamental to adaptive management is monitoring CO, PM and Knox to ensure Yellowstone�s Class I air shed is not being adversely affected, and to provide park managers with credible information to make future management decisions.

This agreement will support a means of providing an effective cooperative working relationship between the MTDEQ and NPS and combine technical expertise, funding, and services toward the goal of monitoring air quality parameters to the benefit of visitor/employee health. These types of cooperative relationships help to more effectively address air quality concerns in the context of an overall adaptive management plan for winter use operations. This work will strengthen the working relationships of the partners involved.