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

Resumen

In this action, we are amending 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), 42 U.S.C. 7571, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is establishing 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 adopts standards equivalent to the NO X standards of the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and thereby brings the United States emission standards into alignment with the internationally adopted standards (ICAO standards for newly certified engines were effective beginning in 2004). In addition, today's action amends the test procedures for gaseous exhaust emissions to correspond to recent amendments to the ICAO test procedures for these emissions. On December 19, 2005, the new NO X standards will apply to newly certified gas turbine engines--those engines designed and certified after the effective date of the regulations (for purposes of this action, the date of manufacture of the first in