On August 17, 2009, US EPA announced a pre-publication of a Notice of Public Rulemaking that would create technology-based effluent standards for discharges from airport deicing operations. The proposed rule, if adopted, would require airports that conduct deicing operations and have 1,000 or more annual jet departures and 10,000 or more total departures to collect spent aircraft deicing fluid and treat the wastewater from these operations. The proposed rule would give airport operators the option of conducting treatment on-site or sending the wastewater off-site to a treatment contractor or publicly owned wastewater treatment works. In some cases, the proposed rule would also require a reduction in the amount of ammonia discharged from urea-based airfield pavement deicers or the use of airfield deicers that do not contain urea.
More information on the proposed rule can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/guide/airport/