Exceptional event demonstration contracts (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality)
It is a clone of this request.
| Tracking # |
23-84229 |
| Multi Request | Exceptional event demonstration contracts |
| Submitted | May 23, 2023 |
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Communications
From: Dillon Bergin
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act, I hereby request the following records:
We are aware that air quality management agencies sometimes conduct "exceptional event demonstrations," which are analyses to demonstrate that emissions from potential exceptional events caused an exceedance of one or more NAAQS. These demonstrations are then submitted to the Regional EPA office in order to request that the office exclude the air quality monitoring data from use in certain regulatory determinations.
Concerning services related to these exceptional event analyses, we request:
1. Any and all executed contracts, memorandums of understanding (MOUs), or other equivalent agreements that are currently active, or have been active within the last five years;
2. Any addenda, amendments, attachments, exhibits, materials, and schedules;
3. Any and all correspondence, between the relevant air quality agency and the contracting individual, corporation, or other entity, related to the implementation of these agreements.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Dillon Bergin
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Dear Customer,
TCEQ has received your request for information under the Texas Public Information Act and assigned it
PIR Number: 23-84229.
The TCEQ charges for the costs of responding to Open Records requests in accordance with state law. If the estimated cost to fulfill your request:
•is $40 or less, we will fulfill your request and provide you with an invoice. If requested, as a courtesy we will provide an estimate before we fulfill your request.
•exceeds $40, before we fulfill your request, we will provide you with an estimate, which you must accept in writing.
•exceeds $100, before we initiate fulfillment of your request you must pay a 50% deposit.
Thank You,
Kendra Mayfield
Public Information Request Specialist
Information Resources Division, MC 197
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
512-239-3282 data line
openrecs@tceq.texas.gov<mailto:openrecs@tceq.texas.gov>
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Good Afternoon,
We are working on your Public Information Request concerning exceptional events.
We understand that you would like to receive confidential information.
I've attached our Public Information Request Confidential Information Options form.
Please complete the form and return it to us at your earliest convenience.
Thank you,
Jocelyn Mellberg
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Office of Air
Air Modeling and Data Analysis Section
E-mail: Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov<mailto:Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov>
Phone: 512-239-0164
How is our customer service? Fill out our online customer satisfaction survey at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/customersurvey
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Dear Mr. Bergin,
We received your Public Information Request (23-84229-PIR) on 05/23/2023, concerning our exceptional event demonstrations.
As permitted under Texas Government Code § 552.222(b), TCEQ requests that you please clarify the following:
1. TCEQ currently has exceptional event demonstrations for ozone and particulate matter. Which of these pollutants are included in your request?
2. TCEQ performs modeling analyses and data analyses for its exceptional event demonstrations. These analyses generate very large files. Are you requesting these large data sets and models or would you prefer the results of these analyses.
Please be advised that, pursuant to Texas Government Code § 552.222(d), your request for information will be withdrawn if you do not respond in writing to this request for clarification within 61 calendar days.
Thank you in advance for your assistance with this request for clarification. Please feel free to contact Jocelyn Mellberg (jocelyn.mellberg@tceq.texas.gov) if you have any questions.
Jocelyn Mellberg
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Office of Air
Air Modeling and Data Analysis Section
E-mail: Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov<mailto:Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov>
Phone: 512-239-0164
How is our customer service? Fill out our online customer satisfaction survey at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/customersurvey
From: Molly Peterson
Hello Ms. Mellberg:
In response to your request for clarification:
1. We are seeking exceptional events demonstrations for both ozone and particulate matter.
2. We are not seeking the large data sets and models, and would prefer the results of these analyses.
Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and attention to detail in this matter.
Dillon Bergin
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Hello Mr. Bergin,
Thank you for your clarifications.
We also asked you to complete our Confidential Information Options Form.
Please see attached email.
Thank you,
Jocelyn Mellberg
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Office of Air
Air Modeling and Data Analysis Section
E-mail: Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov<mailto:Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov>
Phone: 512-239-0164
How is our customer service? Fill out our online customer satisfaction survey at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/customersurvey
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Hello Molly,
Thank you so much for reaching out.
I've attached the CI Options Form. Please fill out and return to us at your earliest convenience.
Thank you!
Jocelyn Mellberg
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Office of Air
Air Modeling and Data Analysis Section
E-mail: Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov
Phone: 512-239-0164
How is our customer service? Fill out our online customer satisfaction survey at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/customersurvey
From: Molly Peterson
Hello Jocelyn --
Per our request for information related to contracts for exceptional event determinations, please see the attached form.
Thank you,
Molly Peterson
on behalf of Dillon Bergin
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Received. Thank you!
Jocelyn Mellberg
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Office of Air
Air Modeling and Data Analysis Section
E-mail: Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov<mailto:Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov>
Phone: 512-239-0164
How is our customer service? Fill out our online customer satisfaction survey at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/customersurvey
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Mr. Bergin,
Thank you for the public information request 84229 concerning our exceptional event demonstration information.
Please review the attached official response letter with a cost estimate of $636 for the documents requested concerning our exceptional event demonstrations.
You have 10 days to reply to this email to accept or modify the request before it’s automatically withdrawn.
Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Jocelyn Mellberg
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Office of Air
Air Modeling and Data Analysis Section
E-mail: Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov<mailto:Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov>
Phone: 512-239-0164
How is our customer service? Fill out our online customer satisfaction survey at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/customersurvey
From: Molly Peterson
Hi Jocelyn
We are in receipt of your estimate for producing files.
I see an amount of 2120 minutes for "non-programming labor." Is there any more information available for how you came to that figure? Does it relate to the size of the file or the page count?
Thank you,
Molly Peterson & Dillon Bergin
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Hello,
It relates to the amount of time that staff estimate that they will need to find and compile all the files.
Hope that helps.
Thank you,
Jocelyn
Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
From: Molly Peterson
It does help. One more quick question: we had asked for only the results of analyses, and not the full very large data sets. When you wrote back saying that there are 4394 MB of data available in response to this request, can you clarify that this includes what we requested: just the results of analyses, and not the very large data sets?
Thank you again.
Molly Peterson and Dillon Bergin
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Hi,
Thank you for your question.
I did ask technical staff when they gave me their file counts if that excluded the large data sets used in their modeling and analyses, and they assured me that those large data sets are not included. They estimated that those large data sets would be an additional 20-30 GB.
Please feel free to contact me with any other questions.
Jocelyn Mellberg
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Office of Air
Air Modeling and Data Analysis Section
E-mail: Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov<mailto:Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov>
Phone: 512-239-0164
How is our customer service? Fill out our online customer satisfaction survey at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/customersurvey
From: Molly Peterson
Hey Ms. Mellberg --
I very much appreciate your help understanding this estimate. If you have suggestions for how I could potentially reduce the burden of this request, I'd be interested in revising it to reduce the staff time required. I'm also happy to discuss via the phone at your convenience Monday or Tuesday. Please let me know if that's possible.
Thanks again,
Molly Peterson
415.377.1760
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Hi,
How is Monday morning for you? I could call you 10 am my time 8 am yours.
Please let me know if that works for you or your preferred time.
Thank you,
Jocelyn
From: Molly Peterson
That sounds great. I'm at 415 377 1760.
Molly Peterson
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Dear Mr. Bergin and Ms. Peterson,
Thank you for speaking with me this morning concerning your request.
We received your Public Information Request (23-84229-PIR) on 05/23/2023, “concerning services related to these exceptional event analyses, etc.”
As permitted under Texas Government Code § 552.222(b), TCEQ requests that you please clarify the following:
1. The TCEQ has many contracts responsive to your request. To narrow the focus of the request, I’ve provided a list of the TCEQ’s contracts related to exceptional events in the table below. Please review the list and let us know which specific contracts you are interested in.
2. Please confirm that you are only interested in the contract documents.
PCR#
Tracking No.
End Date
Project Title
18-81573-28
2018-09
08/31/2018
Near-Real Time Exceptional Event Modeling (NRTEEM)
18-81899-09
2018-19
06/30/2018
Assessment of the Exceptional Event Rule's Emissions/Distance (Q/D) Guidance
18-81996-10
2018-18
08/15/2018
Exceptional Events Screening Tool and Demonstration Support
18-82416-02
2018-21
06/30/2019
Speciated PM2.5 Background Monitoring for HGB at West Liberty
19-92818-05
2019-05
03/31/2020
Additional Support for “AQRP Project 19-31: Detecting Events and Seasonal Trends in Biomass Burning Plumes using Black and Brown Carbon: (BC)2 El Paso” Including Extension of the Field Monitoring Program Through September 2019 and of the Data Analysis into February 2020
19-94466-06
2019-14
08/15/2019
Near-Real Time Exceptional Event Modeling
19-95350-07
2019-28
08/01/2019
Houston Exceptional Events Analysis
19-96973-08
2019-21
10/31/2020
Exceptional Event PM2.5 Speciation Monitoring at the West Liberty (CAMS 699) Monitoring Site
20-12109-016
2020-07
11/15/2020
Near Real-Time Exceptional Event Modeling (NRTEEM)
22-31188-008
2022-09
06/30/2022
Operationalizing Exceptional Event Tools
22-31535-018
2022-06
04/29/2023
Monitoring Related to Ozone Formation in and Ozone and Particulate Matter Transport into the Houston Region and the Dallas-Fort Worth Region
22-31913-020
2022-39
05/31/2023
TRACER AQ Analysis in Houston
22-32022-021
2022-22 & 2022-41
07/31/2023
Air Quality Data Collection for TRACER-AQ-2 Field Campaign in Houston
22-32030-022
2022-11 & 2022-12
07/29/2023
Black and Brown Carbon (BC)2 Monitoring in Houston and El Paso in 2022
22-33351-024
2022-15
05/31/2023
San Antonio Field Study Analysis
23-41321-025
2023-18
01/31/2024
Estimating Surface PM2.5 from Satellite Aerosols
23-42586-027
2023-11
06/15/2024
TRACER-AQ2 Analysis in Houston
23-43296-028
2023-17
05/31/2024
2023 Mobile and Offshore Air Quality Monitoring
23-43322-029
2023-10
06/28/2024
Monitoring Related to Ozone Formation in and Ozone and Particulate Matter Transport into the Houston Region and the Dallas-Fort Worth Region
23-44248-031
2023-09
From: Molly Peterson
Hi Jocelyn,
Yes, we are interested only in the contract documents, not the outputs of those contracts or the demonstrations themselves.
Please let me know the estimate for that output, and thank you for working collaboratively to specify this request.
Molly Peterson
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Hi Molly,
I’ll get back to you with a revised request as soon as I can.
Jocelyn
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Mr. Bergin,
Thank you for the public information request 84229 concerning our exceptional event contract information.
Based on the 6/26/2023 clarification, we have revised the cost estimate.
Please review the attached official response letter with a cost estimate of $306 for the documents requested concerning our exceptional event contracts.
You have 10 days to reply to this email to accept or modify the request before it’s automatically withdrawn.
Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Jocelyn Mellberg
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Office of Air
Air Modeling and Data Analysis Section
E-mail: Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov<mailto:Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov>
Phone: 512-239-0164
How is our customer service? Fill out our online customer satisfaction survey at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/customersurvey
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Jocelyn Mellberg would like to recall the message, "Revised Cost Estimate for Texas Public Information Act Request #23-84229".
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Mr. Bergin,
Thank you for the public information request 84229 concerning our exceptional event contract information.
Based on your 6/27/2023 clarification email, we have revised the cost estimate.
Please review the attached official response letter with a cost estimate of $306 for the documents requested concerning our exceptional event contracts.
You have 10 days to reply to this email to accept or modify the request before it’s automatically withdrawn.
Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Jocelyn Mellberg
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Office of Air
Air Modeling and Data Analysis Section
E-mail: Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov<mailto:Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov>
Phone: 512-239-0164
How is our customer service? Fill out our online customer satisfaction survey at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/customersurvey
From: Molly Peterson
Hi Jocelyn,
We are in receipt of the estimate and understand the terms. We wish to proceed, and now wonder how to arrange payment.
Thank you,
Molly Peterson
working with Dillon Bergin
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Hi,
Please find attached a letter and invoice detailing how to provide payment for the files.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Thank you,
Jocelyn Mellberg
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Office of Air
Air Modeling and Data Analysis Section
E-mail: Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov<mailto:Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov>
Phone: 512-239-0164
How is our customer service? Fill out our online customer satisfaction survey at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/customersurvey
From: Molly Peterson
Hello Jocelyn! Just wanted to let you know that we have paid the estimated fees via the web's epay interface using the instructions in the letter.
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Thanks for letting me know.
Jocelyn
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Dear Dillon Bergin:
Please find your final invoice letter attached.
The cost to provide the information responsive to your request is $306.00. You paid a deposit
of $306.00; therefore your balance due is $0.00. The information responsive to your request
will be available on our FTP site at 12 am Central Time on July 7, 2023.
The files can be accessed in two ways:
1. Web browser: https://amdaftp.tceq.texas.gov/file_transfer/DA/84229
2. FTP client software such as FileZilla (for large quantity of files)
* FTP host: ftpamda.tceq.texas.gov
* Username: user’s email address
* Password: anonymous
* Port: 21
If you have any questions concerning this matter, you may contact me at 512-239-0164 or by
e-mail at jocelyn.mellberg@tceq.texas.gov<mailto:jocelyn.mellberg@tceq.texas.gov>. Please provide the PIR number located in the
reference line when contacting me to enable your request to be more efficiently tracked.
Sincerely,
Jocelyn Mellberg
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Office of Air
Air Modeling and Data Analysis Section
E-mail: Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov<mailto:Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov>
Phone: 512-239-0164
How is our customer service? Fill out our online customer satisfaction survey at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/customersurvey
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Hello,
Unfortunately, the file that I uploaded yesterday was empty.
I've uploaded the correct file today. It should be available at 12 am 7/8/2023.
Please let me know if you have any problems getting the file.
Thank you,
Jocelyn Mellberg
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Office of Air
Air Modeling and Data Analysis Section
E-mail: Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov<mailto:Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov>
Phone: 512-239-0164
How is our customer service? Fill out our online customer satisfaction survey at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/customersurvey
From: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
And, here are corrected FTP client instructions:
Correction for FTP access:
* FTP client software such as FileZilla (for large quantity of files)
* FTP host: amdaftp.tceq.texas.gov
* Username: anonymous
* Password: user's email address
* Port: 21
* Directory: /file_transfer/DA
Jocelyn Mellberg
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Office of Air
Air Modeling and Data Analysis Section
E-mail: Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov<mailto:Jocelyn.Mellberg@tceq.texas.gov>
Phone: 512-239-0164
How is our customer service? Fill out our online customer satisfaction survey at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/customersurvey
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84229ContractFiles
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