WASHINGTON — The Obama administration proposed Wednesday to regulate aircraft emissions in much the same way as power plants, saying they are a threat to human health because they contain pollutants that help cause global warming.
Using its authority under the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency’s preliminary finding of endangerment to human health clears the way for possible U.S. adoption of international emissions standards.
The International Civil Aviation Organization, or ICAO, a U.N. agency, has been working for five years on developing global aircraft emissions standards for the first time. Final agreement on those standards is expected in February.
But a final U.S. decision on adoption of international standards is likely to be left to the next presidential administration.
EPA officials said the earliest the agency is likely to propose adoption of ICAO standards would be in 2017.
U.S. regulations would apply only to engines used in large planes.
