Aircraft
This page provides information about air pollutant emissions from commercial aviation. It includes regulations, guidance, and other information related to aircraft.
- Friends of the Earth Petition Regarding Leaded Aviation Gasoline
- Regulations and Guidance
- Related Links
For further information or assistance, contact: ASD Information Line, phone: (734) 214-4636 or email: ASDinfo@epa.gov.
NOTE: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, available as a free download, to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more about PDF, and for a link to the free Acrobat Reader.
Friends of the Earth Petition Regarding Leaded Aviation Gasoline
In 2006, the environmental group, Friends of the Earth petitioned EPA to propose emission standards for lead from piston engine (general aviation) aircraft. The following documents provide background:
- Lead Emissions from the Use of Leaded Aviation Gasoline in the United States (PDF) (82 pp, 2.5MB, October 2008, EPA-420-R-08-020) This Technical Support Document (TSD) provides the most recent methodology used to estimate airport-specific lead emissions, including estimates for 2002. The 2002 National Emissions Inventory (NEI) does not include these updates, but subsequent NEI base years will incorporate the methods documented here.
- Airport Sources of Lead in Core-Based Statistical Areas (Excel) (12MB, December 2008, Free Excel Viewer is available at Microsoft ) For the purposes of considering population-oriented monitor siting for lead, states can use this database to identify potential locations of Pb emissions from piston-engine aircraft activity. See following README document.
- README File for Airport Sources of Lead in CBSAs describes the content of the Excel file and the source of the data.
- Petition from Friends of the Earth (PDF) (12 pp, 303K, October 3, 2006) to limit emissions of lead from piston engine aircraft.
- Federal Register Notice Requesting Public Comment on Petition to Limit Lead Emissions from General Aviation Aircraft | PDF Version (4 pp, 108K, published November 16, 2007)
Regulations and Guidance
- Final Rule: Control
of Air Pollution from Aircraft and Aircraft Engines; Emission Standards
and Test Procedures (published November 17, 2005)
EPA is amending the existing emission standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) for new commercial aircraft engines. These standards are equivalent to the NOx emission standards of the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and thereby will bring United States aircraft standards into alignment with the international standards. These standards will go into effect on December 19, 2005 and they will apply to new aircraft engines utilized on commercial aircraft that include small regional jets, single-aisle aircraft, twin-aisle aircraft, and 747s and larger aircraft.- Final Rule | PDF Version (24 pp, 240K)
- Correction (typographical) to Final Rule | PDF Version (1 pg, 40K, published November 25, 2005)
- Fact Sheet: Aircraft Engine Emission Standards | PDF Version (3 pp, 51K, EPA420-F-05-015, November 2005)
- Emission Standards and Test Procedures for Aircraft and Aircraft Engines: Summary and Analysis of Comments (PDF) (55 pp, 477K, EPA420-R-05-004, November 2005)
- Proposed Rule: Control of Air Pollution from Aircraft and Aircraft
Engines (published September 30, 2003)
- Proposed Rule | PDF Version (26 pp, 612K)
- Fact Sheet: Proposed Aircraft Engine Emission Standards (PDF) (5 pp, 117K, EPA420-F-03-029, September 2003)
-
Aircraft Contrails Fact Sheet (PDF) (6 pp, 1.6MB, EPA430-F-00-005, September 2000)
- Evaluation of Air Pollutant Emissions from Subsonic Commercial Jet Aircraft (PDF) (77 pp, 412K, EPA420-R-99-013, April 1999)
- Executive Summary 7K TXT
- Direct Final Rule: Aircraft Emission Standards Harmonizes US Aircraft Standards with International Standards
(published May 8, 1997)
- Direct Final Rule
- Direct Final Rule Regulations 13K WP5
- Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
- Regulatory Support Document (PDF) (25 pp, 81K, February 1997)
- Fact Sheet: Adopted Aircraft Engine Emission Standards (PDF) (5 pp, 17K, EPA420-F-97-010, April 1997)
- Fact Sheet: Reducing Aviation Emissions in the South Coast (PDF) (3 pp, 10K, EPA420-F-96-010, July 1996, also available as a 5K TXT)
- Draft Technical Data to Support FAA Advisory Circular on Reducing Emissions from Commercial Aviation
(September 1995)
- Abstract 12K TXT
- Report (PDF) (76 pp, 276K)
- Appendices (PDF) (33 pp, 221K)
- For aviation emission inventory analysis, a useful tool is the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Emissions and Dispersion Modeling System (EDMS).
In cases where EDMS does not include necessary emission factors, such as aircraft particulate matter (PM), use the best available information. Available information on particulate matter emission factors includes EPA documentation, available through contacting the ASD information phone number and e-mail address shown above.
- Aircraft Engine Emissions Data Bank A comprehensive database of aircraft engine emissions certification data has been developed during the course of work carried out by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This data and related information are available at the ICAO Aircraft Engine Exhaust Emissions Data Bank.
- November 1991: Nonroad Engine and Vehicle Emission Study Report (PDF) (141 pp, 1.8MB, EPA-21A-2001 or EPA460/3-91-002).
- Appendices (PDF) (415 pp, 7.7MB)
This "nonroad study" quantifies the contribution of nonroad sources to air pollution, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter (PM). The study covers 10 equipment categories, including: lawn and garden equipment, farm and construction equipment, recreational vehicles, marine vessels, and airport service equipment.
Paper copies of this study are available from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) - Publication #PB-92-126960.
Related Links
EPA Link:
- Voluntary Emission Reduction Program for Airport Ground Support Equipment (PDF) (144 pp, 736K, EPA420-R-99-007, May 1999)
External Links: