Voluntary Aviation Emissions Reduction Stakeholder Process

1. Voluntary Aviation Emissions Reduction Stakeholder Process Bryan Manning, U.S. EPA Airport Air Quality Symposium March 1-2, 2001

2. Emissions Trends: • Over the last 2 decades, air travel was the fastest growing mode of transport. This trend is expected to continue. • The substantial growth in aircraft emissions is occurring at a time when other mobile source categories are reducing emissions. • Aircraft emitted 1.3% of U.S. mobile source NOx in 1995, and in 2010 aircraft are projected to emit 2.4%.

6. Why Voluntary Stakeholder Process was Initiated: • The Clean Air Act gives EPA authority to set aircraft engine emissions standards, and FAA the authority to certify engines and enforce compliance. • International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is chartered to develop voluntary international standards that each sovereign country may then adopt. • To date, ICAO emissions standards have been modest. • Concerns by EPA, state & local air agencies and environmental groups of ICAO stds (primarily NOx), led to EPA & FAA signing an MOU in March 1998 agreeing to work to identify voluntary efforts that could reduce aircraft emissions.

7. Voluntary Stakeholder Process: • Focus broadened to look at ways to control not only main aircraft engines, but auxiliary power units (APUs), ground service equipment (GSE), stationary sources at airports, and ground access vehicles. • Primary objective is to reduce aviation NOx emissions. • All relevant stakeholders are represented: airlines (passenger and cargo), engine manufacturers, airports, state and local agencies, enviro groups, APU and GSE manufacturers, NASA, DOD, FAA and EPA. Facilitators assist the group to work more efficiently. • Have been meeting regularly for almost 2.5 years

8. Voluntary Stakeholder Process (cont.): • Three simultaneous efforts: • A baseline study of emissions inventories at 10 generic airport types, with current and future projected emissions for each source category • Evaluation of 30+ control options as to effectiveness, cost, feasibility of implementation, etc • An overall framework of the agreement which would be embodied in a document signed by all stakeholders agreeing to specific commitments • Negotiations have been long and difficult, but significant progress has been made.

9. What We’ve Accomplished: • The baseline inventory study and options evaluation study should be complete in about 2 months. • The draft framework document continues to be refined as consensus is reached on various elements. • Parties have preliminarily agreed to a 2-tiered program: • Tier 1 would achieve national reductions in 2 parts: • Near term: focused on GSE emissions reductions • Long term: focused on aircraft emissions reductions • Tier 2 would achieve additional reductions at airports in a limited number of nonattainment areas that need reductions beyond the national program.

10. What We’ve Accomplished (cont): • Air Carriers are developing a proposal for GSE • Stakeholders are still working on long-term elements for aircraft. Agreement on this difficult element is expected to require significant effort. • Senior representatives of stakeholders met in early January 2001. • The senior reps agreed to meet on a quarterly basis. • They plan to move the process along by resolving disputes.

11. What Does It Mean • The stakeholder process is very likely to be the one and only national opportunity to reach consensus among all the appropriate stakeholders on ways to voluntarily reduce emissions from the aviation sector. • If we fail, the regulatory agencies (EPA and the state and local governments) will be forced to pursue independently actions to reduce these emissions. • That means the airlines would likely be faced with negotiating with up to 50 states and hundreds of airports around the country. • Obviously, a national solution is in all of our best interests.