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Consent-General Government # 10.
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| Board of Supervisors |
County Administrator |
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| Subject |
| Approve agreement with Dr. Darell G. Slotton in the amount of $344,400 to provide annual mercury monitoring in the Cache Creek off-channel gravel mining wet pits for the period of July 1, 2017 through October 1, 2020. (No general fund impact) (Blacklock/Liebler) |
| Recommended Action |
| Approve agreement with Dr. Darell G. Slotton in the amount of $344,400 to provide annual mercury monitoring in the Cache Creek off-channel gravel mining wet pits for the period of July 1, 2017 through October 1, 2020. |
| Strategic Plan Goal(s) |
Operational Excellence
Sustainable Environment |
| Reason for Recommended Action/Background |
Dr. Darell G. Slotton is intimately familiar with the local watershed and possesses an in-depth knowledge of the mercury monitoring, modeling, and reporting requirements for the Cache Creek Area Plan (CCAP), as he was the individual who developed them. He is the nation’s foremost expert on mercury methylation and regularly travels the country and to various other nations in his methylmercury research and educational endeavors.
Dr. Slotton worked closely with County staff in the development of the Cache Creek Area Plan over 20 years ago and has provided the County with updated research and recommendations for the past 20 years. Dr. Slotton and his team at UC Davis have provided the County with various services over the last 20 years including updates, based on sound science, to our mercury monitoring methodology, standards, and remediation protocols. Dr. Slotton, his lab, and his team are located within 20 minutes of Cache Creek and are able to provide on-call services, as needed. Many of the monitoring protocols involve the laboratory testing of fish and invertebrate tissue samples obtained from wet mining pits and adjacent areas of Cache Creek. Natural Resources staff have had the protocols and monitoring requirements peer reviewed by other mercury professionals and has determined that they are consistent with best practices. In fact, other local agencies, including Nevada County, have modeled their mercury monitoring programs on Yolo County's program. Staff has contacted other labs in the area and none are able to process the tissue samples according to the adopted protocols.
The services that Dr. Slotton will provide are requirements of Section 10-5.517 of the County's Surface Mining Reclamation Ordinance. The associated text in the currently adopted ordinance is as follows:
In the event of approval of reclamation of mined areas to permanent lakes, each mining area to be reclaimed to a permanent lake as a part of each approved long-range mining plan shall be evaluated annually by the operator five years after creation of the lake for conditions that could result in significant methylmercury production.
The County previously contracted with Dr. Slotton for year number one of the five required years of annual wet pit testings. This contract (Attachment A) would cover Dr. Slotton's services to continue the annual testing for the remaining four required years. The gravel operators along Cache Creek who participate in the Cache Creek Area Program have agreed to allow the County to contract with Dr. Slotton to perform these required services, with the acknowledgment that they will reimburse the County for the work. Reimbursements were received from all operators for the first year of monitoring services. |
| Collaborations (including Board advisory groups and external partner agencies) |
| Staff has collaborated with Department of Financial Services and the Office of County Counsel internally, as well as the Yolo County Aggregate Producers Association externally. |
| Competitive Bid Process |
| As stated above, Dr. Slotton and his lab at UC Davis are the only qualified lab within a reasonable distance that are able to provide on-call monitoring services, as well as analysis and reporting. For that reason, staff is recommending a sole source contract for these highly specialized services. |
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| Fiscal Impact |
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| Source of Funds for this Expenditure |
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Explanation (Expenditure and/or Revenue) |
| Further explanation as needed: |
Annual Maximum: $86,100
Years of Service: 4
Contract Not to Exceed: $344,400
All costs associated with this contract will be reimbursed by the participating gravel producers. |
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