NBAA Concerned About EPA’s Plans For Aircraft-Emission Regulations

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is closely evaluating an announcement, unveiled on June 10 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that the agency intends to consider new regulations for carbon emissions from aircraft, based on an a view by agency officials that such emissions may pose a human-health concern because they contribute to global warming.

When the EPA’s intention was announced, NBAA was quick to raise concerns of its own, pointing out that aviation emissions account for a mere two percent of all transportation emissions globally, and emissions from general aviation aircraft account for only a tiny portion of all aviation emissions.

The agency’s announcement – detailed in an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) – is based on an “endangerment finding,” focused on aircraft emissions. The endangerment finding could prompt the EPA to propose any new aircraft-emissions regulations under the Clean Air Act of 1970.

The EPA’s ANPRM is not an actual proposed rule, but simply a notice that the agency may move ahead in proposing aircraft-emissions regulations. NBAA is thoroughly reviewing the ANPRM to determine what specific implications the EPA’s plans might have for business aviation. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen says the Association will file comments on the ANPRM following a review of the document, which NBAA will undertake in collaboration with its Member Companies and the broader aviation community.

NBAA has continually worked with a coalition of other industry stakeholders regarding aircraft emissions. The Association has representation on national and international working groups – represented by general aviation, the airlines, manufacturers and others – that is focused on emission policies.

“The aviation community has long been committed to pursuing effective and workable efforts to lower the industry’s carbon footprint,” says Bolen. “Over the past several decades, the industry has enormously improved fuel efficiency, and continues to do so, through the development of new technologies, the promotion of flight-procedures that reduce emissions and ongoing research and testing of alternate fuels. We will make these points very clearly in our comments to the EPA.”