EPA Proposes Effluent Limitation Rule for Airport Deicing Discharge
September 8, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing effluent limitation guidelines (ELGs) and new source performance standards (NSPS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA) for discharges from airport deicing operations.
According to the Aug. 28 Federal Register posting, Effluent Limitation Guidelines (ELGs) and New Source Performance Standards for the Airport Deicing Category, the requirements would apply to wastewater associated with the deicing of aircraft and airfield pavement at primary commercial airports.
According to the EPA, the ELGs would be incorporated into the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by EPA, states or tribes.
On Sept. 2, 2004, the EPA published an Effluent Guidelines Plan (69 FR 53705) that established schedules for developing new and revised effluent guidelines for several industry categories, including airport deicing.
Deicing operations include removal of ice from aircraft, application of chemicals to prevent initial icing or further icing (anti-icing) and removal of (and preventing) ice from airfield pavement (runways, taxiways, aprons and ramps).
The proposed effluent guidelines and standards address both the wastewater collection practices used by airports and the treatment of those wastes. Airports within the scope of this proposed rule would be required to collect spent aircraft deicing fluid and treat the associated wastewater.
Additionally, airports performing airfield pavement deicing would be required to use non-urea-based deicers. The requirements would be implemented in CWA discharge permits.
The proposed requirements would affect more than 200 commercial airports nationwide, according to the EPA.
The EPA estimates that six major airports, which are among the largest users of aircraft deicing fluid, would have to install centralized deicing pads to comply with the proposed requirements. Airports using lesser amounts would collect 20% of the spent fluid with technologies such as glycol recovery vehicles.
The estimated 50 airports that use urea to deice runways would use more environmentally friendly deicers or reduce the discharges of ammonia from continued use of urea. Some airports in the country already comply with the proposed requirements.
According to the EPA, the regulation would reduce the discharge of deicing-related pollutants by at least 44.6 million pounds per year.
EPA is working with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which determined that if the rule is implemented it would have no impact on the safe operation of airplanes or runways treated for snow and/or icing conditions.
For more information, review the Aug. 28 Federal Register posting.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).