Environmental Protection Agency
In this action, we are proposing to amend the existing United States regulations governing the exhaust emissions from new commercial aircraft gas turbine engines. Under the authority of section 231 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing new emission standards for oxides of nitrogen (NO<INF>X</INF>) for newly certified commercial aircraft gas turbine engines with rated thrust greater than 26.7 kilonewtons (kN). This action proposes to adopt standards equivalent to the latest (effective in 2004) NO<INF>X</INF> standards of the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and thereby bring the United States emission standards into alignment with the internationally adopted standards. In addition, today's action also would amend the test procedures for gaseous exhaust emissions to correspond to recent amendments to the ICAO test procedures for these emissions. After December 31, 2003, the proposed NO<INF>X</INF> standards would apply to newly certified gas turbine engines--those engines designed and certified after the effective date of the proposed regulations (for purposes of this action, the date of manufacture of the first individual production model means the date of type certification). Since the proposed NO<INF>X</INF> standards would apply to only newly certified gas turbine engines, newly manufactured engines (those engines built after the effective date of the proposed regulations) would not have to meet these standards. Moreover, all engines currently being built would not have to comply with the NO<INF>X</INF> emission standards that EPA is adopting today. Today's proposed amendments to the emission test procedures are those recommended by ICAO and are widely used by the aircraft engine industry. Thus, today's action would establish consistency between U.S. and international standards, requirements, and test procedures. Since aircraft and aircraft engines are international commodities, there is significant commercial benefit to consistency between U.S. and international emission standards and control program requirements. In addition, today's action ensures that domestic commercial aircraft would meet the current international standards, and thus, the public can be assured they are receiving the air quality benefits of the international standards.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Environmental Protection Agency 40 CFR Part 87 [AMS-FRL-7561-7] RIN 2060-AK01 AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: In this action, we are proposing to amend the existing United States regulations governing the exhaust emissions from new commercial aircraft gas turbine engines. Under the authority of section 231 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing new emission standards for oxides of nitrogen (NO X ) for newly certified commercial aircraft gas turbine engines with rated thrust greater than 26.7 kilonewtons (kN). This action proposes to adopt standards equivalent to the latest (effective in 2004) NO X standards of the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and thereby bring the United States emission standards into alignment with the internationally adopted standards. In addition, today's action also would amend the test procedures for gaseous exhaust emissions to correspond to recent amendments to the ICAO test procedures for these emissions. After December 31, 2003, the proposed NO X standards would apply to newly certified gas turbine engines—those engines designed and certified after the effective date of the proposed regulations (for purposes of this action, the date of manufacture of the first individual production model means the date of type certification). Since the proposed NO X standards would apply to only newly certified gas turbine engines, newl…
Citation: 68 FR 56226
