California Air Resources Board

Scope of Work

Pre-Proposal Requirements

Go back to the solicitation landing page to access the template, frequently asked questions, and link to the zoom meeting registration and slides.

Background

Warehouses and logistics centers have proliferated significantly throughout the United States and in multiple regions in California. Over the past 40 years, the number of large warehouses (greater than 100,000 square feet) in Southern California has grown from a few hundred to over 4,000. In total, the region has greater than 34,000 warehouse facilities as of 2014.[1]^,[2] New warehouses are actively being proposed, reviewed, and approved throughout the state with Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Joaquin Counties experiencing a high volume of warehouse-related CEQA reviews and approvals between 2020 and 2025. 

Warehouse growth has contributed to increased and concentrated truck activity, traffic congestion, and air pollution, posing challenges for residents living nearby. Studies have also identified disparate patterns of warehouse development in marginalized and minoritized communities, raising important environmental justice concerns.[3] Known impacts include increased air pollution, including diesel particulate matter (DPM), nitrogen oxides, PM2.5, and elemental carbon.[4] DPM is a known carcinogen,[5] and PM2.5 contributes to asthma, premature mortality, and other adverse health impacts.[6] Surrounding communities have also raised concerns about safety, noise, traffic, damage to infrastructure, and economic impacts.

Warehouses and their air quality impacts are a growing area of interest for the public, local and state entities, and academics, yet significant research gaps remain. One major gap is the ability to accurately estimate and characterize activities of trucks and on-site equipment as a function of various warehouse characteristics like size, use, number of loading docks, region, and other factors. This information can be used to improve warehouse related emissions estimates based on established emission factors and better understand warehouse impacts to surrounding areas. Improved impact assessments could help in developing targeted policy interventions or providing information for land use decisions that prioritize public health protections alongside economic development.

Objectives

The objective of this project is to characterize patterns of truck activities and other emission sources associated with warehouse operations. This objective will be achieved through a community science project focused on activity data collection in three or more distinct warehouse locations. The Contractors may also seek out voluntary industry participants to gather data on warehouse operations. The Contractor will use these data to recommend and or implement an efficient, transferable analytical framework for characterizing warehouse-related activities statewide. The results are expected to inform the development of a consistent, statewide approach for improving warehouse-related activity data collection. Project outcomes are expected to provide data that inform warehouse-related programs in California, including those related to air pollution mitigation strategies, and incentive programs, as applicable. Additional guidance for prospective Contractor(s) is provided below:

• Achieve siting requirements: The Contractor will evaluate three or more locations  experiencing warehouse proliferation (e.g., Bay Area, Central Valley, Southern California’s Inland Empire). The selection will represent a range of different land development types (e.g., suburban, urban), and warehouse configurations (e.g., large warehouse, warehouse clusters). The study design will prioritize areas with active community engagement. The Contractor(s) will identify warehouse sites in coordination with CARB and community partners (i.e., community-based organizations). Additional consideration will be given to locations next to sensitive receptors.
• Leverage existing resources: The Contractor will design a data analysis plan that leverages existing resources and coordinates with ongoing efforts to improve cost-effectiveness and enhance the comprehensiveness of results. Examples of such resources and coordination include, but are not limit to, the use of existing truck activity databases; data available from warehouses subject to Rule 2305; coordination with local air quality management or control districts; and findings from projects related to warehouse operations. Where feasible, activity data collection will be coordinated with CARB’s Portable Emissions Acquisition System (PEAQS) deployment in consultation with CARB. The Contractor will use this information to improve characterization of truck activity (e.g., truck types, emissions, and traffic volume).
• Establish community partnership: The Contractor will partner with communities to collect truck activity data and on-the-ground information about warehouse operations. The Contractor will implement a community science approach by engaging with community-based organizations (CBO) representing the study area as sub-contractors. The tasks will be designed to address local priorities and may incorporate other variables, where appropriate, to better characterize warehouse-related impacts. The CBO(s) will participate and receive training to conduct data collection, analysis, interpretation, and project communication where appropriate. An intended outcome is to create and implement a replicable community-driven data-gathering strategy and cost-effective, scientifically reliable method/tool(s) that can be used to study truck activities associated with warehouse operations. The Contractor should carefully describe how this data will be used to improve input to tools such warehouse databases or emission inventories, and offer updated information to local decision-makers.
• Seek additional partnerships: The Contractor shall work with local Air Districts, local decision-makers, and where feasible, work with warehouse operators, to gather information in the study area. Competitive proposals include a plan for seeking cooperation of warehouse site operators, their regulators, and/or trade associations, for data prioritized by the community engagement process that can provide insight into on-site warehouse activities.
• Satisfy data collection requirements: The warehouse-related truck and off-road activity data should be of high quality. Other data collected should allow for a deeper understanding of warehouse impacts on nearby communities. The project shall establish a replicable activity data collection methodology that can be employed at other locations in future assessments. Data collected throughout this project will include:

1. Community characteristics
   1. Locations and types of sensitive receptors (e.g., UTM coordinates)
   2. Demographic information
   3. Community experiences and concerns
2. Warehouse characteristics reported in a standardized format
   1. Location of the warehouse (e.g., UTM coordinates)
   2. Polygon boundary of each warehouse building
   3. Building size in gross square footage
   4. Land use code
   5. Number and locations of loading docks and parking spaces
   6. Warehouse use(s)
   7. Existing mitigation measures such as barriers, setbacks, electrification and charging infrastructure, appointment times for truck arrivals that avoid queuing issues, etc.
   8. Other relevant variables identified from the CBO partners and literature review
3. Truck characteristics and activity patterns
   1. Truck routes
   2. Truck types, license plate, truck gross vehicle weight, model year, truck class, and fuel type including zero-emission trucks
   3. Activity of off-road equipment and on-site sources like Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs), yard trucks, etc.
   4. Hours of operation, hours of peak congestion, and activities as a function of time-of-day and day-of-week
   5. Queuing and idling issues and causes
   6. Additional data on environmental stressors identified by communities and that contribute to cumulative impacts

Scope of Work

The Contractor should develop a research plan and perform all tasks described below. The Contractor will work closely with a CBO sub-contractor during all tasks. This research team will consult with CARB and air districts regularly throughout the life of the project to produce data products that are useful to various interested parties.

Task 1: Design a community outreach, communication, engagement and evaluation plan

The Contractor shall develop an outreach, communication, engagement, and evaluation plan for community groups, air districts, AB 617 Community Steering Committees (CSCs), and other interested parties such as local schools, community colleges, and industry if feasible. Note that the engagement plan may need to be submitted for review by the Contractor’s Institutional Review Board to ensure ethical conduct and protection of community members and other participants during the engagement portion.

• The outreach plan will indicate how the Contractor will identify community research needs (e.g., engagement with CBOs, community groups, AB 617 CSCs). The Contractor will consult with CARB staff before finalizing the plan for action.
• The communications plan will note how the project team will communicate information with community partners, community scientists, and other interested parties throughout the study. The communications strategy can include websites, videos, email, community meetings, or other approaches. The Contractor will consult with CARB staff before finalizing the plan for action.
• The engagement plan will detail how the Contractor will engage with community partners to inform the study design and methods, data collection, analysis, and interpretation and sharing of project results. The engagement plan should detail how the Contractor will involve the broader local community and other interested parties to inform the study design and share results. Additionally, the engagement plan will include how the Contractor will collaborate with CARB staff on the co-creation of meeting materials, including presentation slides, flyers, prompts, and speaking notes. The Contractor must not misrepresent CARB policies to the public. CARB participation in community meetings is preferred as long as CARB's presence does not negatively impact community engagement efforts. The proposed budget will allocate funding for CBO Sub-Contractors and should match the budget and the justifications embedded in the budget worksheet. The budget should also incorporate the cost of translating materials and providing live interpretation during meetings where appropriate. The Contractor will consult with CARB staff before finalizing the plan for action.
• The evaluation plan will include a method for how the Contractor will collect feedback from community partners throughout the project and adjust study design or other study elements as necessary to achieve project goals. The Contractor will consult with CARB staff before finalizing the plan for action.

CARB recommends that pre-proposal applicants review the CalEPA Community Science Practitioner’s Guide for best practices.

Interim Deliverable

The Contractor shall provide an outreach, communication, engagement, and evaluation plan in the form of a Word document. Any surveys, evaluation forms, website mockups, and meeting or outreach materials shall be included. The plan should include a schedule of community engagement events planned.

Task 2: Literature review and assessment of data needs

In parallel with Task 1, the Contractor will gather and synthesize information on the latest methodology for collecting high quality data in the following categories:

1. Warehouse-related truck activity data and on-site activity data, including remote sensing or other methods that can provide truck counts and activities of on-site equipment like yard trucks, TRUs and others.
2. Warehouse characteristics, including readily available information sources like online maps and databases. Gather and synthesize information on warehouse locations and characteristics, including nearby sensitive receptors. List and cite all relevant tools. Leverage new information posted by local jurisdictions in compliance or in process toward compliance with AB 98 on established or updated truck routes.
3. Data that can inform warehouse location selection and/or data collection needs. For this effort, CARB will share data, such as PEAQS data collected at relevant sites, for analysis by the Contractor, if feasible. This can inform location selection and provide additional technical data that can inform site selection or data collection needs.

In addition, the Contractor shall synthesize the latest research on impacts of warehouses on nearby sensitive receptors including health, air quality, and economic impacts. The literature review should summarize best practices in characterizing these impacts.

Interim Deliverable

An interim report synthesizing the relevant technical information detailed above will be provided to CARB as a Word document. The Contractor shall present their results to CARB and other partners in a quarterly meeting. The report will also include a plain-language summary and recommendations on data collection methodologies and critical research gaps which can then be leveraged during Task 3.

Task 3: Design activity data collection and analysis plan based on Task 1

The Contractor shall implement the approved outreach, communication, engagement, and evaluation plan delivered in Task 1.  This will include collecting community feedback on: (1) local concerns related to warehouse activities, (2) environmental stressors of interest, (3) on-the-ground knowledge about warehouse-related activities, and (4) community capacity to be involved in the subsequent tasks of this project.

The Contractor shall work with CARB and community members to identify three or more locations in regions experiencing proliferation of warehouses and develop a data collection and analysis plan informed by finding from Task 1 and 2. The following will be considered in developing this plan:

1. The study area ideally has consistent warehouse activities. Larger warehouses or dense warehouse clusters are targets of interest. This can include clusters of smaller warehouses.
2. Consistent truck traffic and defined truck routes should be identified. The community can provide critical information here about hours of operation and locations where community members feel the largest impacts.
3. If possible, prioritize warehouses with consistent TRU activities or other on-site emission sources.
4. Warehouse areas with consistent queuing or idling issues are also good candidates. If queuing is an issue near sensitive receptors, work with community members to understand sources of bottlenecks such as poor truck flow management, issues with warehouse entrance coordination, spacing between warehouse entry points, etc.
5. The Contractor will work with CARB and community members to identify additional variables and data collection approaches including but not limited to the variables listed earlier in this scope of work in the Objectives Section.

Note that the final study area and methodology selection will balance scientific feasibility with community interest. In addition, the study must address data needs for CARB and/or local air districts.  Communicating this effectively and setting realistic expectations will be critical for reaching a consensus on study design.

Interim Deliverable  

The Contractor shall work with CARB to draft a plan that meets CARB and air district needs while aligning with community priorities to the extent feasible. The plan will cover: (1) warehouse-related activity data collection and analysis that details: (2) roles and responsibilities, (3) data plans including data use agreements, data collection and quality assurance plans, data collection schedule, a data analysis plan, (4) training or capacity building needs, and (5) data and analysis review process. Such plans shall prioritize strategies to collect high-quality data that ensure its usefulness for CARB, the air districts, and communities. CARB must approve the plan before implementation.

Task 4: Train community members in data collection and analysis

In accordance with the interim deliverable for Task 3, the Contractor shall conduct any training or capacity building needed to ensure the CBOs can participate fully in the project tasks. If CBOs are collecting data, the Contractor and CBOs shall provide training on standard operating procedures to collect and record the data, field safety, and data transmission.  The contractor shall incorporate these costs as well as costs of any translation needs for training materials into the budget. At the end of the project, effectiveness of the training to support CBO participation shall be evaluated.

Interim Deliverable

Summary of result of training evaluation and recommendations for improving communication with community scientists.

Task 5: Collect and analyze warehouse-related activity data gathered throughout this contract

The Contractor will work with CARB and CBO(s) to collect data following the established QA/QC plans in accordance with the Task 3 interim deliverable and aligned with the training provided in Task 4. There will be three or more warehouse locations in which warehouse-related truck activity data will be collected. Furthermore, the Contractor will coordinate with CARB and representative CBO(s) to deploy the PEAQS system, when feasible. The Contractor is responsible for appropriately allocating resources for travel and other in-field operational needs. Timing of the data collection would have to consider meteorological factors and impact of season on warehouse activities. The Contractor will work with CARB to schedule these deployments.

The Contractor will archive and analyze the collected data and perform a QA/QC analysis and statistical confidence building measures to ensure the data collection and data analysis methodology minimizes expected uncertainties and yields statistically robust and defensible results. If any corrections to the methodology are needed, the Contractor shall update the QA/QC plan, data agreement plan, and update CBO(s) representing other locations prior to re-initiating data collection.

Interim Deliverable

After each data collection effort, the Contractor and CBO(s) will report on the data collection effort.  The report will summarize preliminary data and do a brief report out to the local community to share how the data collection effort went and what the next steps in data analysis entail. CARB will provide feedback on each reported effort.

Task 6: Review data and results 

The Contractor will coordinate with CARB to share initial results with OEHHA, Air Districts, and community partners. The Contractor will demonstrate how the methodology improves our understanding of warehouse-related activity impacts in nearby communities. The Contractor will also demonstrate the utility of consistent, statewide approach for improving warehouse-related activity data collection.

The data review will include a discussion on how results may be used by different groups and what data gaps they address. The Contractor shall discuss how data can be used to improve inputs for recommended tools like emission inventories and databases and extend analysis to other locations. The communication strategy should be clear about the limitations of the data and confounding factors.

Interim Deliverable

At a quarterly meeting, the Contractor will give a presentation summarizing the results and if appropriate, demonstrate how the data can be incorporated into tools, such as databases and inventories. The conclusion of the report will include a discussion of how the data can be used and what data gaps it addresses, remaining research gaps, and recommended future strategies to fill those gaps.

Task 7: Summary, evaluation, final report, and closing community meeting

The Contractor is expected to submit a comprehensive draft final report (DFR) to the CARB contract manager six months before the end of the project, detailing the research findings and their recommendations. This report should include a thorough analysis of the methods and data collected, along with actionable suggestions for future applications and studies. The Contractor will revise the report based on feedback from CARB staff and the Research Screening Committee (RSC). The Contractor and CBO(s) will hold a closing community meeting that shares the project outcomes, conducts the final evaluation, and discusses how community members would like to be informed or involved in the future. By the end of the contract period, the Contractor will deliver the final report, evaluations from community partners and community scientists, and the finalized data collected during the study. To ensure transparency and accessibility, CARB will publish publicly available detailed project reports in an accessible format. In addition, interactive tools, webinars, and presentations can be conducted to share the findings of this project while demonstrating equity-centered metrics and highlighting the outcomes of this research.

Project Deliverables

The project pre-proposal shall include but not be limited to the following deliverables:

At the Pre-Proposal Stage

• Provide a cultural competency statement in the pre-proposal.

At the Beginning of the Contract

• Participate in a kick-off meeting to give an overview of the project to CARB,OEHHA, and Air Districts.

• Discuss with CARB to finalize engagement strategies, field site locations, deployment strategies, and data and analysis collection approach.

• All researchers must undergo cultural competency training (e.g., implicit bias training and racial equity training). Training should be completed or scheduled within 30 days of contract execution.

During the Active Contract Period

• Submit quarterly progress reports. These reports shall include plain-language summaries that can be posted publicly. CARB will provide the progress report template.
• Engage in frequent (e.g., monthly or quarterly) consultation conference calls with CARB and a consortium of Air District representatives, plus additional key partners as needed.
• Provide periodic updates and presentations to CARB, OEHHA, Air District staff, and community partners.
• Submit interim deliverables, as specified, at the completion of each task. These deliverables are expected at the end of each task to ensure progress.

Prior to Contract Close

• Submit all data and analyses packages (i.e., raw and cleaned spatial and tabular data for warehouse locations, and warehouse and community characteristics and reproducible code packages in python, R or GIS).
• Satisfy the following requirements of the Draft Final Report (DFR):
  • DFR will be copy-edited, reviewed, and approved by the Principal Investigator.
  • Include a plain language summary in the DFR.
  • Include an equity implications section in the DFR.
  • Have the DFR reviewed by community representatives.
• The Final Report submitted to CARB must be ADA-compliant for posting publicly.
• Participate in a virtual or in-person seminar to present the project findings.
• Peer-reviewed publications should be publicly available and free of charge (please budget for this expense; submission-ready publications shall be reviewed by CARB staff).
• Additional deliverables shall be determined in consultation with CARB staff.

Timeline

This project is anticipated to be completed in 36 months or before funds expire. The cost shall not exceed $700,000.

Additional Resources

The CalEPA Community Science Practitioner's Guide is now available on CalEPA's website: Community Science Practioner's Guide

Scoring Criteria

Responsiveness to the goals and objectives outlined in the pre-proposal solicitation(15 points)

Proposers should demonstrate a clear understanding of the research needs that CARB aims to address with this project while highlighting their expertise on the subject. The pre-proposal should present a clear path toward defining the research approach that incorporates community perspectives, considers various aspects of the research need, and identifies or acknowledges any potential biases. It should outline, in sufficient detail, the proposed approach to meeting the requirements of the Solicitation. The pre-proposal must detail work that aligns with the objectives outlined in the Research Solicitation while also demonstrating flexibility and adaptability to incorporate community expertise.

Policy relevance/benefits to the state(10 points)

Does the pre-proposal describe how the project will provide data, information, and/or products to support CARB in achieving its mission? The results anticipated from this project will improve CARB, Air District, and local planning agencies’ understanding of the impact of warehouses on nearby communities. The project should develop a replicable and scalable methodology and partnerships for gathering warehouse-related activity data elsewhere in the state. The work should support development and improvement of tools and models for future implementation in locations throughout the state.

Previous work (20 points)

The most competitive teams will include expertise on the following:

1. Understanding of successful community engagement and community science projects, preferably with an established record of successfully completing projects with community groups. The most competitive bidders will have community-based organization as Sub-Contractors on the study who are currently engaged in warehouse-related work. Alternately, the proposal provides letters of commitment from community-based organizations who will collaborate as working partners on the study.
2. The most competitive bidders will have existing access to instrumentation and mobile platforms for deployment, including the use of tools such as Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) or other tools that measure activity data.
3. Heavy-duty vehicle and off-road equipment activity analysis, emissions, and operational characteristics. The most competitive bidders have expertise in warehouse-related truck activity data collection, PEAQS, warehouse activities and characteristics, and local policy drivers.

Do the researchers have relevant experience in these areas? Is the team composed of a multi-disciplinary team of experts? Do they discuss how they will build on previous relevant work funded by CARB, other state agencies, and any other appropriate organizations like work with local air districts or community-based organizations? The Contractor should describe prior experience in community engagement and provide letters of commitment, references, or a community impact statement detailing how their previous work has benefitted communities. Five points will be reserved for project teams that meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. The project team is multi-disciplinary.
2. The project team includes members from various universities, non-academic institutions, or community-based organizations.
3. The project team includes one or more members who will contribute significantly to the project (e.g., a principal investigator, co-principal investigator, or co-investigator, contributing 25% or more of their time) who have not worked with CARB in the past 5 years.

Technical merit (25 points)

Describe the technical strengths and/or weaknesses of the pre-proposal. Proposers should demonstrate the logic and feasibility of the methodology and technical approach, outline the sequence and relationships of major tasks, and explain how the work will be carried out. The pre-proposal should also explain how the proposed methods are robust and how the results will be validated. Consider how well the pre-proposal addresses these areas:

1. Is the proposed measurement approach appropriate? Are the technologies being considered suitable, and will the proposed analysis yield relevant results?
2. Does the proposed work address all the deliverables outlined in the “Deliverables” section and the interim deliverables described after each task? If not, the pre-proposal should not be considered for funding.
3. The review team will select only one pre-proposal for development into a full proposal. If this pre-proposal shows potential, what areas or topics should be prioritized or further explained in the full proposal?

Community Science Experience and Approach (15 points)

Community science prioritizes deep, empowering, and iterative engagement, where Tribes, communities, academics, and agencies are equal partners throughout the research process. This represents a shift away from more common dynamics where Tribes and communities are research subjects instead of researchers themselves. Centering Tribes and communities as scientists can help ensure research questions reflect local needs and desires and can ideally be used to address those concerns. Consider how well the pre-proposal addresses these areas:

1. Does the pre-proposal reflect this important principal and provide a clear path toward engaging communities as partners in designing and carrying out this project?
2. What expertise in community science does the team have?
3. Does the pre-proposal reflect past expertise in this methodology?
4. Does the pre-proposal demonstrate that the research team plans to implement engagement at every step and incorporate evaluation and self-assessment throughout the project?
5. Does the pre-proposal include a letter of commitment from one or more CBOs? Does the proposed budget include direct funding for CBO partners?

Level and quality of effort to be provided and cost effectiveness (15 points)

Does the pre-proposal allocate time and resources effectively to ensure the study objectives are met? Is the supervision and oversight sufficient to keep the project on schedule? Is the distribution appropriate for activities such as community engagement, research, evaluation, analysis, data reduction, report preparation, meetings, and travel?

Is the cost appropriate for the proposed work? Does the proposed work appear feasible within the requested budget and timeline for spending the funds? Projects that include co-funding should be evaluated more favorably. Is an appropriate fraction of the budget allocated to the CBOs for the work agreed upon? In a project where community engagement is a focus, up to 50% of the budget can be justified to be allocated to external non-UC/CSU entities such as CBOs, Tribes, non-governmental organizations (NGO) and private research entities.

Scoring Criteria Scoring Guidance

91-100 points. Exceptionally strong. The submission is technically strong, meets stated research objectives, is cost-effective, and has a high potential to be successfully completed.

81-90 points. Strong. The submission is technically sound.

71-80 points. Mixed. The submission has either strong technical merit or strong policy significance, but not both.

61-70 points. Weak. The submission is not sufficiently linked to the needs of the Board and offers limited technical merit.

60 points or below. Unacceptable. The submission is not linked to the interests or needs of the Board and lacks technical merit.

[1]Annual Report for the WAIRE Program

[2]Industrial Warehousing Study | Southern California Association of Governments

[3]Air pollution impacts from warehousing in the United States uncovered with satellite data | Nature Communications

[4]Impact of Warehouse Expansion on Ambient PM2.5 and Elemental Carbon Levels in Southern California's Disadvantaged Communities: A Two‐Decade Analysis - Yang - 2024 - GeoHealth - Wiley Online Library

[5]Ambient and Emission Trends of Toxic Air Contaminants in California | Environmental Science & Technology and Summary: Diesel Particulate Matter Health Impacts | California Air Resources Board

[6]Inhalable Particulate Matter and Health (PM2.5 and PM10) | California Air Resources Board