EPA To Start Regulating Airplane Pollution

Date: July 26, 2016 Last Edit: July 27, 2016

Latest Regulatory Move Comes After EPA Says Airplane Pollution Endangering Public Health

In a move that the New York Times says set off “a battle between environmentalists and the airline industry,” the Obama Administration has announced a plan to “start regulating planet-warming pollution from airplanes.” The EPA has issued an “endangerment finding” that “concludes that the planet-warming pollution produced by airplanes endangers human health by contributing to climate change.” This finding doesn’t go into the details of how the EPA will regulate airplane pollution. However, by issuing the finding, the EPA has triggered “a legal requirement under the Clean Air Act” that mandates the agency “establish a rule.” The EPA’s acting assistant administrator for air and radiation, Janet McCabe, noted that the “E.P.A. has already set effective greenhouse gas standards for cars and trucks and any future aircraft engine standards will also provide important climate and public health benefits.” The Washington Post reports that in an interview, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said, “The good news about the opportunities in the aircraft sector is that it relates to aircraft becoming more efficient. It relates to aircraft engines that will produce less pollution — not just greenhouse gases, but less [nitrous oxide] pollution and potentially noise pollution.” The Wall Street Journal reports the EPA said it would coordinate any new regulation with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a branch of the United Nations, although the agency indicated it could adopt standards that are even stronger than global standards currently used by the ICAO.

What This Means For Small Businesses

The EPA’s penchant for costly rulemaking has struck again with the agency’s announcement that it intends to regulate airplane pollution. Though the EPA cites public health in justifying its rule making, businesses large and small will suffer as production costs increase from this new regulation, which is likely to force businesses involved in the aviation sector to adopt new emissions-reducing technologies.

Additional Reading

The Hill, the AP, Reuters, Fortune, Greenwire, and Alabama Live.

Note: this article is intended to keep small business owners up on the latest news. It does not necessarily represent the policy stances of NFIB.

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