NATA Says EPA Has Failed To Deliver

Since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised spill prevention, control and countermeasures (SPCC) regulations in 2002, regional inspectors have been taking a closer look at containment for refueling trucks. According to the National Air Transportation Association, “Many small aviation businesses have been subject to these inspections and, subsequently, costly fines.” The EPA was expected last month to issue guidance for the regional inspectors to use, NATA said, “and, out of courtesy, it would let the industry see this guidance to enable aviation businesses to gain better understanding of the requirements and expectations for compliance.” In recent discussions with EPA representatives, NATA said it was unable to get a clear indication of when the association could expect the release of this guidance document. “The EPA’s failure to provide guidance to the industry on how to address undefined issues in the face of the rapidly approaching deadline [August 2006] for implementation of revised SPCC plans shows the agency’s lack of understanding for the breadth and impact of the issues,” the association alleged.