REGULATORY REPORT

EPA ISSUES FINAL RULES ON DEICING

May 11, 2012

What’s at Issue
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a prepublication version of a final rule titled Effluent Limitations Guidelines and New Source Performance Standards for the Airport Deicing Category.

Why It’s Important
The rules promulgated in this final rule affect how airports must deal with wastewater created during aircraft deicing.

Major Provisions
This final rule contains two major provisions affecting airports:

Pavement Deicing
Any primary airport with more than 1,000 jet departures annually must not use a urea-based pavement deicer or must meet an effluent limitation for any discharge of ammonia.

Collection Requirement
Any new airport in a cold weather climate is required to collect 60% of used available deicing fluid.  New airports can meet this collection requirement without having to document actual collected percentages through the use of centralized deicing pads.

NATA Position
NATA is pleased that the EPA accepted industry comments regarding the issues with promulgation of a nation-wide collection standard affecting existing airports and limited those requirements to new airports.  As suggested by NATA’s comments, the EPA has left collection requirements for existing airports on a case-by-case permit basis.

Status
The final rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register within two weeks and will become effective 30 days after publication.  The prepublication version of the rule is available here.

Staff Contact: Michael France
Director, Regulatory Affairs
mfrance@nata.aero

For general press inquiries, contact Shannon Chambers at 703-298-1347 or schambers@nata.aero. 

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has been the voice of aviation business for more than 80 years. Representing nearly 3,700 aviation businesses, NATA’s member companies provide a broad range of services to general aviation, the airlines and the military and NATA serves as the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before Congress and the federal agencies.