Control of Air Pollution From Aircraft and Aircraft Engines; Emission Standards and Test Procedures

SUMMARY: This rulemaking proposes 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

(NOX) and carbon monoxide (CO) for newly manufactured and

newly certified commercial aircraft gas turbine engines with rated

thrust greater than 26.7 kilonewtons (kN). This action proposes to

codify into United States law the current voluntary NOX (a

two-staged NOX standard) and CO emission standards of the

United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and

thereby would bring the United States emission standards into alignment

with the internationally adopted standards. These ICAO CO and

NOX standards would be added to the current EPA regulations

for smoke and hydrocarbon emissions that have been in effect since

1984. EPA is also proposing to adopt ICAO's requirement that these

standards also apply to engine designs which are substitutes for

turbojet and turbofan engines (e.g. propfan, unducted fan, and advanced

ducted fan). In addition, EPA proposes to amend the test procedures for

gaseous exhaust emissions and smoke exhaust emissions to correspond to

recent amendments to the ICAO test procedures for these emissions. EPA

also proposes to amend its certification test fuel specifications to

make them consistent with ICAO's test fuel specifications.

All of the affected engines are already meeting the ICAO CO and

first-stage NOX emission standards that EPA is proposing to

adopt today. Most engines also meet the ICAO second-stage

NOX standard; only a few models need minor reductions in

emissions to meet this standard. In addition, most manufacturers

routinely measure these emissions today even though it is not required

by federal regulation. The proposed amendments to the emission test

procedures are those recommended by ICAO and are widely used by the

aircraft engine industry today. Thus, today's proposal would establish

consistency between U.S. and international standards, test procedures,

and other requirements. Since aircraft and aircraft engines are

international commodities, there is some commercial benefit to

consistency between U.S. and international emission standards and

control program requirements (i.e., easier to qualify products for

international markets since the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

can certify engines for ICAO compliance). 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.

Because the Agency views the provisions of this proposed rulemaking

as noncontroversial and does not expect to receive adverse comments,

these provisions are also being issued as a direct final rule in the

Final Rules section of this Federal Register.

DATES: Comments on the regulations proposed by this action must be

received on or before June 9, 1997. If EPA conducts public hearings on

today's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), EPA will publish a timely

document in the Federal Register that specifies the time and location

of such hearings.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may submit written comments in response

to this notice (in duplicate if possible) to Public Docket No. A-94-66,

at: Air Docket Section, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Attention: Docket No. A-94-66, First Floor, Waterside Mall, Room M-

1500, 401 M Street SW., Washington, DC 20460. A copy of the comments

should also be sent to Bryan Manning, U.S. EPA (EPCD-12), Engine

Programs and Compliance Division, 2565 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI

48105.

Materials relevant to this notice have been placed in Docket No. A-

94-66 by EPA. The docket is located at the above address and may be

inspected from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays. EPA may charge a

reasonable fee for copying docket materials.

A copy of this action and the Regulatory Support Document is

available through TTNBBS under OMS, Rulemaking and Reporting, Aircraft

Engine Emissions. TTNBBS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

except Monday morning from 8-12 eastern standard time (EST), when the

system is down for maintenance and backup. For help in accessing the

system, call the systems operator at 919-541-5384 in Research Triangle

Park, North Carolina, during normal business hours EST. In addition,

the TTNBBS can be accessed through the following internet addresses:

World Wide Web: http://ttnwww.rtpnc.epa.gov or TELNET:

ttnbbs.rtpnc.epa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bryan Manning, U.S. EPA (EPCD-12),

Engine Programs and Compliance Division, 2565 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor,

MI 48105. Telephone (313) 741-7832.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the authority of section 231 of the

CAA, EPA today proposes to adopt the 1986 ICAO CO and NOX

emission standards and ICAO's amendments of July 1993, which include a

more stringent NOX standard for the future and other test

procedure changes. These proposed revisions pertain to 40 CFR part 87

subparts A, C, G, and H. EPA considers these proposed changes to the

regulations to be noncontroversial, and thus, these changes will be

finalized as a direct final rule in the Final Rules section of the

Federal Register. For further supplemental information, the detailed

rationale, and the revisions to the regulations, see the information

provided in the direct final rule.

If no adverse comments are timely received, no further activity is

contemplated in relation to this proposed rule and the direct final

rule in the Final Rules section of this Federal Register will

automatically go into effect on the date specified in that rule. If

adverse comments are timely received on the direct final rule, the rule

will be withdrawn and all public comment received on it will be

addressed in a subsequent final rule based on the proposed rule.

Because the Agency will not institute a second comment period on this

proposed rule, any parties interested in commenting should do so during

this comment period.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 87

Environmental protection, Incorporation by reference, Aircraft

engines.

Dated: April 29, 1997.

Carol M. Browner,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97-11675 Filed 5-7-97; 8:45 am]

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