Environmentalists say airports are major polluters

October 17, 1996
Web posted at: 11:30 p.m. EDT

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The nation's major airports pollute the air as much as an oil refinery or steel mill, and may be the new smokestacks of the 21st century.

That's the gist of a new study by environmental watch-dog group Natural Resources Defense Council, which identifies airports as "major polluters."

The problem, the NRDC says, will get much worse as more and more Americans travel by air.

"Neither airports nor airlines are held accountable for the aggregate impacts of their ground-level aircraft emissions," since they are regulated as mobile sources of pollution and not compared to other industries in the region, the study said.

"State and local regulators remain nearly powerless to address the problem in meaningful ways, while other major industrial sources are accordingly forced to compensate on airports' behalf as states scramble to meet mandatory emissions reductions deadlines," the study said.

But not everyone agrees that airports are a menace to the environment. "There are things that can be done to reduce pollutants, but you want to be careful because air transportation is the cleanest and safest form of transportation," said Davis Plavin, president of the Airports Council International.

"I think pollution all over is a problem," he said. "Pollution is something we've been making some real progress on. Over the years, planes have gotten noticeably quieter, and noticeably reduced emissions."

Both the Environmental Protection Agency and Federal Aviation Administration were criticized by the NRDC, which seeks greater regulation on the airport and aircraft industry.

Responding to the report, an EPA statement said the agency "is committed to doing everything possible within the law to protect public health from airport and aircraft pollution."

The EPA noted that aircraft pollution accounts for just 1.4% of all air pollution from mobile sources, and that aircraft are not exempt from air pollution controls, which are set and enforced under the Clean Air Act.

Related sites:

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• Natural Resources Defense Council
• Federal Aviation Administration
• Environment Protection Agency

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