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Airport Deicing Effluent Guidelines
Airport Deicing Proposed Rule open for public comment.
The Federal Aviation Administration requires airlines and airports that operate during icy conditions to perform deicing and anti-icing of aircraft and airfield pavement. This ensures the safety of passengers and cargo operations. However, when performed without discharge controls in place, these deicing operations can result in environmental impacts.
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Airports are required to obtain stormwater discharge permits under the NPDES program and ensure that wastes from deicing operations are properly collected and treated. EPA is proposing effluent guidelines for the Airport Deicing Category, which would be implemented in the NPDES permits.
Proposed Effluent Guidelines
EPA is proposing technology-based effluent standards for discharges from airport deicing operations. The requirements generally would apply to wastewater associated with the deicing of aircraft and airfield pavement at primary commercial airports. Airports that conduct aircraft deicing operations, have 1,000 or more annual jet departures, and 10,000 or more total annual departures, would be required to collect spent aircraft deicing fluid and treat the wastewater. They may either treat the wastewater on-site or send it to an off-site treatment contractor or publicly owned treatment works. Some airports would be required to reduce the amount of ammonia discharged from urea-based airfield pavement deicers or use more environmentally friendly airfield deicers that do not contain urea.
- Fact Sheet on Proposed Airport Deicing Effluent Guidelines
- Federal Register Notice (August 28, 2009 (PDF)). (44 pp, 2.05MB, About PDF)
- Regulations.gov docket
Instructions for locating docket items:- In the search window, enter the Docket Number for this proposed rule: EPA-HQ-OW-2004-0038 and click on the Search button.
- On the next screen, click on the Search Within Results button, and then enter a search term in the search window. This can be the EPA Document Control No. (DCN) or a few words from a document title. Click on the Search button.
- On the next screen, one or several documents matching your search term will be listed. Click on the Title of the document and another screen will display, providing a PDF file which may be viewed or downloaded.
- Users Guide to the Airport Deicing Docket (Available a few weeks after Federal Register publication)
Support Documents
- Technical Development Document (PDF) (EPA-821-R-09-004, July 2009) (224 pp, 3.73MB, About PDF)
- Economic Analysis (PDF) (EPA-821-R-09-005, July 2009) (135 pp, 377K, About PDF)
- Environmental Impact and Benefit Assessment (PDF) (EPA-821-R-09-003, July 2009) (201 pp, 2.41MB, About PDF)
Additional Information
For additional information, please contact Eric Strassler (strassler.eric@epa.gov), Project Manager, at 202-566-1026.
Background Document
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
This report provides information on the industry's wastewater characteristics, treatment systems and management practices, environmental impacts, compliance costs and economic conditions in the industry in the late 1990's.
- Preliminary Data Summary on Airport Deicing Operations (PDF) (447 pp, 2.1MB, About PDF) (EPA-821-R-00-016, August 2000)