Memorandum
Date: March 10, 2026
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Douglas Gearhart, Air Pollution Control Officer
Subject: (Sitting as the Lake County Air Quality Management District Board of Directors) Consideration of authorization to take over GAMP Contract Manager duties and establish a private purpose trust fund for GAMP funds
Executive Summary:
In 2006, the (Geysers Air Monitoring Program) GAMP VI Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Lake County Air Quality Management District (LCAQMD) Board Chair. At the time of the signing and since then, the Contract Manager duties have been performed by Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District (NSAPCD) staff. The Contract Manager duties are listed under Section V. D. of the 2006 GAMP MOU (See Attached).
GAMP is a highly successful and often admired air monitoring program incorporating partnerships between the geothermal industry, public, and relevant regulatory agencies. The program became fully operational in 1984 amid much discord regarding the air emissions control strategy being implemented in the Geysers. GAMP is administered and guided by the public, industry, and regulatory agencies who serve jointly on a steering committee established by Section V. B. of the GAMP MOU. It is in the best interest of Lake County’s citizenry, the geothermal industry, and LCAQMD to ensure this program continues.
The current Contract Manager, NSAPCD, no longer wishes to act as the Contract Manager, and has provided notice of their resignation from the position pursuant to the MOU. In order to maintain transparency and ensure GAMP continues to meet all local, State, and Federal requirements for data collection and validation as well as public access to the air monitoring data, the LCAQMD is proposing to take over the Contract Manager duties.
LCAQMD staff are requesting authorization to move forward with the transition of the Contract Manager duties, as defined in the MOU, from NSAPCD to LCAQMD and work with County Counsel to prepare a contract between the LCAQMD and the GAMP Air Monitoring Contractor (Contractor) selected by the GAMP Steering Committee.
In preparation of the transition, the LCAQMD is requesting authorization to establish a Private Purpose Trust Fund, as recommended by the County Auditor-Controller, to invoice and accept GAMP Funds from industry to pay the bills for GAMP.
As an update to GAMP, the GAMP MOU is currently under review and being updated due to significant program changes. The Contract Manager duties will be consolidated, reduced, and/or shifted to the Contractor as much as possible, with the update MOU. These changes will be presented to this Board upon development of a fully updated draft. This Board will have time to comment and request changes to ensure that the members (Industry and Regulatory Agencies) are all contributing a fair and equitable proportion of costs and/or labor in lieu of costs to this program.
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Recommended Action:
1. Authorize the LCAQMD to transition into the Contract Manager position under the existing MOU.
2. Authorize the LCAQMD to work with the County Auditor and Treasurer to establish/open a Private Purpose Trust Fund.