FROM: James D. Herberg, General Manager
Originator: Lan C. Wiborg, Director of Environmental Services
SUBJECT:
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CONTRACTING AQUATIC BIOASSAY & CONSULTING LABORATORIES, INC. FOR TAXONOMIC SERVICES
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GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION
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RECOMMENDATION: Recommend to the Board of Directors to:
A. Approve a General Services Contract to Aquatic Bioassay & Consulting Laboratories, Inc. to provide services for sample processing and taxonomic identification of ocean bottom-dwelling animals as required by Orange County Sanitation District's NPDES ocean discharge permit, Specification No. S-2022-1366BD, for a total amount not to exceed $200,000 for the period beginning March 1, 2023, through February 29, 2024, with four (4) one-year renewal options; and
B. Approve an annual contingency of $20,000 (10%).
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BACKGROUND
In accordance with Orange County Sanitation District's (OC San) ocean discharge permit (Order No. R8-2021-0010, NPDES Permit No. CA0110604), OC San is required to assess the health of ocean bottom-dwelling animal communities in the monitoring area. To achieve this, these animals are collected from the ocean floor (i.e., from sediment samples), screened from the sediment, sorted into broad taxonomic groups, and then further identified to species. The number and types of species present are used as indicators for determining the health of the ocean environment. In a typical program year, this assessment will include approximately 30,000 animals.
Ocean-bottom samples are typically collected on a quarterly basis across 11 sites and annually from 11 additional sites, for a total of 55 samples. The collection area covers approximately 90 square miles surrounding OC San's ocean outfall. Additionally, during the first quarter of fiscal year 2023-2024, OC San will be participating in a permit-required Southern California Bight Regional Monitoring Survey (Bight 2023) that occurs on a 5-year cycle. The Bight 2023 ...
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