"States Pull Out of Talks to Cut Aircraft Pollution"

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

States Pull Out of Talks to Cut Aircraft Pollution


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. state and local air pollution control officials
said on Tuesday they are pulling out of five-year-old talks to develop a
voluntary program for reducing pollution from aircraft engines. 

A pollution-fighting deal with the aviation sector -- which is expected to
see a doubling of nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions by 2030 -- could not be
reached, and the officials said they told the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) so on Monday. 

Major airports already have NOX emissions that are greater than those by
large stationary sources, like refineries and power plants. 

Officials with the State and Territorial Air Pollution Program
Administrators (STAPPA) and the Association of Local Air Pollution Control
Officials (ALAPCO) joined talks in 1999 to cut pollution from aircraft
engines. 

"More than five years later, we are extremely disappointed that no progress
was made concerning the primary objective of reducing aircraft emissions,"
the associations said in a joint letter to the EPA and FAA. 

The two associations represent air pollution control agencies in 54 states
and territories and over 165 major metropolitan areas across the United
States. 

The officials said a proposal made this summer was "inadequate in terms of
scope and stringency" and constrained on the ability of state and local
agencies to protect against aviation-related pollution. 

Specifically, the groups said the proposed nitrogen oxide emission standard
for aircraft engines was not strong enough and excluded other pollutants,
such as soot. 

The officials also opposed excluding airports not in metropolitan areas that
failed to meet EPA's clear air standards and were concerned there were few
protections against "dumping" old equipment at non-participating airports. 

The officials said that despite not being able to reach an agreement, they
are committed "to identifying and implementing strategies" for meaningful
emission reductions from the aviation sector.


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