[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 141 (Monday, July 23, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43137-43141]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-15908]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Aviation Environmental and Energy Policy Statement
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Policy Statement.
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SUMMARY: This is a statement affirming the FAA's environmental and
energy policy for U.S. civil aviation. This policy statement outlines
guiding principles, establishes initial high level performance goals,
and describes strategies to achieve the goals.
DATES: July 23, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie Marks, Office of Environment and
Energy (AEE), Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Ave.
SW., Washington, DC 20591; Telephone: (202) 267-3494.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Policy Statement
Introduction
This policy statement affirms environmental and energy policy for
U.S. civil aviation. The Next Generation Air Transportation System,
commonly called NextGen, is the transformation of the U.S. aviation
system by employing technological, operational, and infrastructure
advances to provide improved safety, security, mobility, environmental
performance, and quality of service.\1\ The overarching environmental
performance goal for NextGen is environmental protection that allows
sustained \2\ aviation growth.\3\
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\1\ See Public Law 108-176, title VII, Sec. 709, Dec. 12, 2003,
117 Stat. 2582.
\2\ Sustainability means developing aviation in a manner that
enhances and promotes the Nation's economic, environmental, and
social initiatives.
\3\ See the NextGen Integrated Plan (December 2004) Sections
5.1.6 and 7.6.
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The primary environmental and energy issues that significantly
influence the capacity and flexibility of the national aviation system
are aircraft noise, air quality, climate, energy, and water quality.
These issues are being addressed under a range of environmental laws
and regulations, and by governmental and industry initiatives. Major
strides in lessening the environmental effects of aviation have been
made over the past several decades. However, aircraft noise continues
to be the public's primary objection to near term aviation growth.
Aircraft emissions contribute to air quality-related health effects, as
do emissions from all combustion processes, and are causing heightened
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concerns locally and globally. The potential effects of aircraft
emissions on the climate of our planet may pose the most serious long
term environmental consequences facing aviation. Noise and emissions
will be the principal environmental constraints on the capacity and
flexibility of the national aviation system unless they are effectively
managed and mitigated. It is important to build on current efforts and
develop new strategies as the system is transformed with NextGen. In
addition, energy supply, its cost, and the relationship between the
burning of fossil fuels and climate change are driving increased
emphasis on the need for energy conservation and sustainable
alternative fuels. Finally, the nation's water quality requires
continued protection from potential contamination from airport-related
discharges.
These combined environmental and energy challenges must be
successfully managed and mitigated for NextGen to realize its full
potential and for the U.S. to meet the aviation transportation needs of
the 21st century.
Environmental and Energy Policy Framework and Principles
This policy statement outlines guiding principles, establishes
initial high level performance goals, and describes strategies to
achieve the goals. The main guiding principles are (1) to limit and
reduce future aviation environmental impacts to levels that protect
public health and welfare and (2) to ensure energy availability and
sustainability.
Two supporting principles are:
(1) Appropriate environmental protection measures combined with
effective and efficient environmental reviews must be an integral part
of strategies for future growth in air transportation. The
implementation of a strategic Environmental Management System (EMS)
approach should provide a foundation for improving the integration of
environmental and energy assessment and performance into the planning,
decision-making, and operation of the national aviation system.\4\ The
NextGen EMS approach, featuring collaboration across stakeholders, is a
strategic concept that requires development, maturation and a robust
implementation plan.
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\4\ http://www.jpdo.gov/library/20101123_JPDOPaper_EMS_Strategy_v3.0.pdf.
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(2) Aviation must have reliable and sustainable sources of energy
and must use that energy efficiently and in a manner that is consistent
with environmental protection. Continuing progress in energy efficiency
and pioneering advances in sustainable alternative aviation fuels will
be key components of NextGen.
Based on these guiding principles, this policy statement is
intended to be a living document. The initial high level goals
presented below will serve as the guide for setting of specific
quantitative performance targets. We will periodically review the
goals, targets, and strategies to achieve them and refine them over
time based on better scientific knowledge, changing environmental
protection and energy needs, and improved technological and operational
capabilities. They are additionally subject to review and revision
based on Administration policy guidance, particularly with respect to
energy, climate, and sustainability. New goals, targets, and strategies
may be defined based on these same factors.
Key Aviation Environmental and Energy Goals
Each of the following initial goals is presented by impact area--
noise, air quality, climate, energy, and water quality. These goals are
established at levels intended to reduce future aviation environmental
and energy impacts sufficiently to protect public health and welfare
while allowing sustained air transportation growth. They are high level
goals at the aviation system-wide level, and are intended to be common
to all individual organizational EMSs.
Each goal will have quantitative targets that are actionable and
can be used to measure progress. Initial targets, some of which have
been established, will be based upon currently available scientific
knowledge of aviation's impacts and will take into account near term
operational and technological improvements.
Noise Goal: Reduce the number of people exposed to significant
noise around U.S. airports in absolute terms, notwithstanding aviation
growth, and provide additional measures to protect public health and
welfare and our national resources.\5\
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\5\ See the 2004 FAA Report to Congress on Aviation and
Environment at www.faa.gov/library/reports/media/congrept_aviation_envirn.pdf.
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The number of people in the U.S. exposed to significant aircraft
noise since 1975 has dropped by 90 percent, an impressive reduction
primarily due to reductions in aircraft source noise and phase outs of
Stage 1 and 2 aircraft over 75,000 pounds. Yet noise remains a
predominant aviation environmental concern of the public, one of the
principal environmental obstacles to expanding airport and airspace
capacity, and the one that has used the most mitigation resources--
including funding from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and
Passenger Facility Charges (PFC). The persistence of significant levels
of aircraft noise in communities around airports is the major impact,
but not the only one. There are increasing concerns in areas of
moderate noise exposure and public complaints from suburban and rural
areas where ambient noise is lower. At noise exposure levels below
those involving health and welfare concerns, there are also
sensitivities with respect to national resources such as national
parks. While techniques and tools for measuring and modeling noise
exposure provide a reliable means of assessing the levels of aircraft
noise to which people are exposed, focused research could improve our
scientific knowledge base of the extent of impacts and appropriate
mitigation below historically-defined significant noise levels.
Air Quality Goal: Achieve an absolute reduction of significant air
quality health and welfare impacts attributable to aviation,
notwithstanding aviation growth.\6\
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\6\ See the 2004 FAA Report to Congress on Aviation and
Environment at www.faa.gov/library/reports/media/congrept_aviation_envirn.pdf.
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Aviation's impact on air quality, through emissions of specific
pollutants, is a growing concern.\7\ Emissions of criteria pollutants
\8\ contribute to surface air quality deterioration, resulting in human
health and welfare impacts.\9\ The focus for commercial aviation and
airport infrastructure is on reducing emissions of Nitrogen Oxides
(NOX), Particulate Matter (PM), Sulfur Dioxide
(SO2), and Hydrocarbons (HC). Lead (Pb) is an issue for
general aviation since more than 200,000 piston-engine aircraft rely on
leaded AvGas for safe operation and produce about half of all lead
emissions in the U.S. At the airport level, about 30 percent of U.S.
commercial service airports are in non-attainment areas that do not
meet national air quality standards or in maintenance areas. For these
airports, emissions issues add to the complexity and uncertainty of
expansion proposals. An increasing number of airports have invested in
low emission vehicular
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fleets and ground support equipment to reduce emissions. The national
air quality standards are expected to become more stringent in the
future, placing more pressure on aviation to reduce emissions despite
growth.
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\7\ See 2009 Partnership for AiR Transportation Noise and
Emissions Reduction (PARTNER) Center of Excellence (COE) Report
titled Aircraft Impacts on Local and Regional Air Quality in the
United States at http://web.mit.edu/aeroastro/partner/reports/proj15/proj15finalreport.pdf.
\8\ There are six criteria pollutants identified in the Clean
Air Act: Ozone; Lead; Nitrogen Oxides; Carbon Monoxide; Sulfur
Dioxide; and Particulate Matter.
\9\ Includes health impacts such as increased risks of mortality
or morbidity as well as impacts that influence psychological well-
being and happiness.
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Climate Goal: Limit the impact of aircraft CO2 emissions
on the global climate by achieving carbon neutral growth \10\ by 2020
compared to 2005, and net reductions of the climate impact from all
aviation emissions over the longer term (by 2050).\11\
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\10\ Carbon neutral growth is no higher carbon dioxide emissions
in 2020 than is reported in 2005.
\11\ Goal unveiled by U.S. at COP/15 and documented in Canada,
Mexico, U.S. Position presented at ICAO's 37th Assembly. See Working
Paper titled A More Ambitious, Collective Approach to International
Aviation Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Section 2.3.
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The potential effects of aircraft emissions on the global climate
may be the most serious long-term environmental and energy issues
facing aviation. Aircraft account for about 3 percent of both national
and worldwide carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Aircraft have
been projected to contribute a larger portion of greenhouse gas
emissions in the future--perhaps 5 percent by 2050--based on projected
aviation growth assumptions and the prospect of easier transition to
alternative technologies and fuels for land transport modes.\12\ There
are additional concerns specific to aircraft as the majority of
emissions from a given flight are directly released into the chemically
complex and sensitive region of the upper troposphere and lower
stratosphere. While CO2--accounting for the bulk of aviation
greenhouse gas emissions--has the same effects regardless of where it
is emitted, certain emissions may have greater effects when released at
altitude. In addition, aircraft emissions of water vapor and aerosols
lead to the formation of contrails and modification of cirrus cloud
distribution, both of which can impact earth's climate. There is not
yet sufficient scientific knowledge about aircraft contrails to
determine their impact on climate or to adopt measures to deal with
them. There are multiple, interrelated impacts due to aircraft
emissions with varying degrees of understanding, with CO2
being the best understood and quantified.
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\12\ See Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth
Assessment Report, ``Working Group 1: The Physical Science Basis,''
2007.
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Energy Goal: Improve National Airspace System (NAS) energy
efficiency by at least two percent per year, and develop and deploy
alternative jet fuels for commercial aviation.\13\
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\13\ See ICAO Assembly Resolution A37-19: Consolidated statement
of Continuing ICAO policies and practices related to environmental
protection--Climate change, Section 23.g).
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Aircraft engine and airframe advances, together with improved air
traffic management and operating procedures, have dramatically improved
aircraft fuel efficiency. The aircraft energy efficiency improvement
over the last 20 years has outpaced other forms of transportation in
the U.S. Notwithstanding this success, there is renewed emphasis on
improving the fuel efficiency of the aviation system. Fuel currently
represents the largest operating cost for U.S. airlines, and this cost
category has grown dramatically in recent years. The air traffic
modernization planned under NextGen should further improve efficiency
by reducing delays and enabling more direct routings. Sustainable
practices by airport operators can conserve energy, make use of
renewable resources (solar, wind, geothermal), and deploy low emission
vehicles and ground support equipment.
Moreover, advances in the development of sustainable alternative
fuels offer great promise for emissions reduction. Nearly 100 percent
of the fuel used in aviation operations is petroleum based--raising
issues of energy supply, energy security, and fossil fuel emissions
affecting air quality and climate. In response to these multiple
concerns, government and the aviation industry have a strong interest
in ``drop in'' alternative aviation fuels that can be blended with or
replace petroleum jet fuel with no changes to existing engines,
aircraft, ground infrastructure, and supply equipment.
Alternative fuel options that use plant oils, sugars, or cellulose
from plants have the potential to dramatically reduce CO2
emissions, if produced in a sustainable manner. Generally, all
alternative aviation fuel options appear to reduce particulate matter
emissions in engine exhausts--a cause of respiratory ailments, although
not unique to aviation as a source.
Water Quality Goal: Limit the adverse aviation discharges to U.S.
waters and reduce aviation's contribution to significant water quality
impacts.\14\
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\14\ This goal is consistent with Sections 401, 402, and 404 of
the Federal Pollution Control Act of 1972, as amended (now the Clean
Water Act) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969.
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Many U.S. airports are located near waterways and wetlands because,
when airports were originally built, the best available land suitable
for an airport (flat and inexpensive) was often found near water. As a
result, aviation has the potential to adversely affect surface water
and groundwater biologically, chemically, and physically. Runoff
containing sediments, fluids, fuel, construction materials, and other
waste products can cause adverse water quality and biotic community
impacts during airport construction. Apart from construction, an
airport's storm water discharges, aircraft and pavement deicing
activities, and aircraft fueling and maintenance procedures can
contribute further to water quality impacts. As an example, biological
and chemical breakdown of deicing chemicals in airport runoff can cause
severe dissolved oxygen demands on receiving waters. Additives in
deicing chemicals may be toxic to aquatic life. The Nation's water
quality is controlled by legislation and regulations, permit programs,
spill control prevention planning, and best management practices. It is
important for aviation to continue efforts to minimize discharges that
adversely affect water quality.
Aviation Environmental and Energy Strategies
The environmental and energy challenges confronting aviation are
not amenable to a single solution; rather, they will require multiple
solutions involving innovations in technology, operations, planning,
and sustainability. A five-pillar comprehensive and integrated approach
to achieving aviation environmental and energy goals, based on
aviation's traditional strengths of technological and operational
innovation, is outlined below with examples provided under each
strategy.
Improved Scientific Knowledge and Integrated Modeling. Aviation
environmental analyses, impact determinations, and mitigation decisions
for NextGen activities must continue to be based on a solid scientific
foundation. This will require continued investments in research to
improve our scientific understanding of the impacts of aviation. This
is particularly important with respect to aviation's effects on
climate. It is also germane to gaining a more nuanced and multi-faceted
understanding of noise impacts, given community concerns with aircraft
noise and public pressures to mitigate noise at levels lower than
current Federal guidelines. In addition, the development and use of
advanced decision-support tools that account for interdependencies of
impacts and cost-benefit analyses of potential solutions will
facilitate more informed decision-making. Prospective solutions and
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combinations of solutions have different impacts, benefits, and costs.
Some solutions have the ability to optimize for one area of
environmental protection at the expense of another, and trade-offs
should be as transparent as possible.
Air Traffic Management Modernization. The development and
integration of advanced operational procedures and infrastructure
improvements will foster National Airspace System (NAS) operational
capabilities that will function more efficiently and contribute to
mitigating environmental impacts and improving energy efficiency.
NextGen will increase the efficiency of aircraft operations, both in
the air and on the airport surface. Improving efficiency saves time and
fuel. Reducing fuel consumption reduces CO2 emissions that
affect climate and other emissions that adversely affect air quality.
Fuel burn, emissions, and flight times can be cut by Performance Based
Navigation (RNAV/RNP) routes. Optimized Profile Descents can reduce
noise, emissions, and fuel consumption. NextGen technology and
procedures that optimize gate-to-gate operations are being demonstrated
with international partners in Europe and Asia-Pacific to reduce fuel
burn, emissions, and noise.
New Aircraft Technologies. Historically, new technologies have
offered the greatest success in reducing aviation's impacts. New
engine/airframe technologies will need to play key roles in achieving
aviation environment and energy goals. The U.S. will support advances
in engine technology and airframe configurations to lay the foundation
for the next generation of aircraft. Our technological strategy
envisions a fleet of quieter, cleaner aircraft that operate more
efficiently with less energy. The FAA and NASA, along with the
Department of Defense, closely coordinate efforts on aeronautics
technology research through the President's National Science and
Technology Council's multi-agency National Aeronautics Research and
Development Plan. Each agency focuses on different elements but they
share the same national goals. The FAA's focus is on maturing
technologies for near term application, while NASA focuses on a broader
range of time frames of technology development. This includes future
concepts such as electric aircraft.
Sustainable Alternative Aviation Fuels. Sustainable alternative
aviation fuels development and deployment offer prospects for enabling
environmental improvements, energy security and economic stability for
aviation. The aviation industry has made a commitment to convert its
fuel supply to alternative fuels.\15\ Government and industry are
working cooperatively with coordinating mechanisms such as the
Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) and are
supporting alternative fuels research. Near term efforts include adding
new classes of fuels to the approved alternative jet fuel standard by
ASTM International, conducting aircraft flight tests using alternative
fuels and ascertaining their emissions characteristics, lifecycle
greenhouse gases, and sustainability. A number of challenges remain to
sustainable alternative fuel deployment, including financing for
commercial production.
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\15\ See 2011 The Future of Aviation Advisory Committee (FAAC)
Final Report; http://www.dot.gov/faac/environment.html.
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Policies, Environmental Standards, and Market-based Measures.
Development and implementation of appropriate policies, programs,
regulations, and mechanisms are critical to support advantageous
technology and operational innovations and accelerate their integration
into the commercial fleet, the airport environment, and entire national
aviation system. The NextGen EMS approach will integrate environmental
protection objectives into NextGen and facilitate National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews. Cooperative partnerships
between government and industry can focus and leverage funding in ways
that are beneficial for aviation and good for the environment. There is
a need for continued and enhanced exploration of the most effective
means to address residual aircraft noise impacts that cannot be reduced
through technologies to guide capital investments in noise mitigation
such as sound insulation, to encourage adequate land use planning, and
to support other methods. Internationally, the U.S. is leading efforts
at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to limit and
reduce international aviation emissions, including development of a
CO2 standard for aircraft, and a new particulate matter (PM)
certification requirement for engines. ICAO has additionally agreed to
explore more ambitious goals for the aviation sector, including carbon
neutral growth in the mid-term and reductions in the long term. The
U.S. is exploring the effectiveness of various policies, including
economic incentives to limit and reduce CO2 emissions. The
U.S. is also supporting studies to investigate the need, cost and
trade-offs, and the technological feasibility of more stringent noise
standards. Additionally, if we are to achieve environmental and energy
goals beyond the near term, policies may be needed to accelerate the
integration of new technologies into the civil fleet compared to the
normal rate of introduction and replacement.
Roles, Responsibilities, and Harmonization
Developing the future air transportation system is a shared
responsibility among U.S. government agencies and the aviation industry
that involves effective planning, research and development, resource
deployment, performance, and collaboration. The Federal government is
responsible for national policy and regulations including aircraft
noise and emissions, aviation safety, airspace management and air
traffic control, research and development, and managing Federal
investments in the NAS. Airport proprietors are responsible for
managing their airports, including planning and implementing actions to
mitigate the adverse effects of airport operations and development on
community noise, air quality, and water quality consistent with Federal
regulations. Manufacturers of airframes and engines engage in research
and development and produce the new technologies that are so critical
to reducing the environmental footprint of aviation. Air carriers, air
freight operators, and other aircraft operators make product purchase
decisions that affect fleetwide environmental performance and fly and
service aircraft in ways that affect fuel use and environmental
impacts. The use of EMSs by aviation stakeholders contributing to
NextGen will play an important role in achieving the environmentally
sustainable growth of air transportation.
It is also important to recognize that civil aviation is an
inherently global endeavor. We are committed to a sustainable national
aviation system that is seamlessly integrated with the larger
international system. This will require harmonization with
international standards, recommended practices, and guidance through
ICAO. This aviation environmental and energy policy statement is
intended to be implemented constructively within the larger
international system.
Conclusion
Aviation has features that distinguish it from other transportation
modes and industries that must be factored into the application of
environmental and energy strategies. A high premium on safety demands
the incorporation of only proven and technically sound technologies to
reduce environmental impacts. Aircraft are high cost and have
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a long life span, requiring long lead times for new technologies to be
widely incorporated in the fleet and close attention to financial
feasibility. Airborne systems must be lightweight and fuel-efficient.
Airlines and other aircraft operators will need to invest the capital
to purchase aircraft with new technologies for aviation to realize the
environmental and operational benefits. Airport infrastructure requires
substantial planning and construction effort, as well as public and
financial support. Noise, air quality, and climate effects of aviation
result from an interdependent set of technologies and operations, so
that action to reduce impacts in one area (e.g., aircraft engine noise)
can increase impacts in another area (e.g., nitrogen oxides emissions).
Efforts to protect water quality by reducing deicing fluid discharge
could affect safety and efficiency of operations. Such considerations
increase the challenge of achieving ambitious environmental and energy
goals. Nevertheless, aviation's impressive record of creativity and
innovation can rise to these challenges.
This policy statement is intended to outline strategies and
approaches necessary to meet the environmental and energy challenges
that confront the U.S. civil aviation system. There is a shared
commitment to moving the aviation sector to environmental performance
that will reduce aviation's noise, air quality, climate, energy, and
water quality impacts notwithstanding the anticipated growth in
aviation. Through broad inclusion and sustained commitment among all
stakeholders, the U.S. will be a global leader in researching,
developing, and implementing technological, operational and policy
initiatives that address mobility and environmental needs.
Lourdes Q. Maurice,
Executive Director, Office of Environment and Energy.
[FR Doc. 2012-15908 Filed 7-20-12; 8:45 am]
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