American Airlines Clean Air Act Settlement
During the last quarter of 1998, AMR Corporation ("American"), a holding company that operates through various subsidiary companies, including American Airlines, Inc., American Eagle Airlines, Inc., AMR Services Corporation, and AMR Combs, Inc, reported to EPA that it potentially had violated the federal diesel fuels regulations at 40 C.F.R. Part 80.29. American also requested the application of EPA's policy on "Incentives for Self-Policing: Discovery, Disclosure, Correction and Prevention of Violations" ("EPA's Self-Disclosure Policy"). This policy allows EPA to not seek a gravity-based (i.e., other than economic benefit) penalty where the violator finds the violation through voluntary environmental audits or efforts that reflect due diligence, promptly discloses and expeditiously corrects the violation. American reported using, at ten airports, jet fuel A to fuel eighty-one airport ground support vehicles that were potentially motor vehicles, and selling approximately 1.3 million gallons of jet fuel A to customers who used the fuel to operate motor vehicles. Jet fuel A, a fuel primarily intended for use in jet aircraft, has a sulfur content greater than 0.05 weight percent. Use of jet fuel A to fuel motor vehicles constitutes a violation of section 211(g) of the Clean Air Act.
American took prompt action to remedy the violations and prevent future violations, changed its practices for fueling its motor vehicles to ensure that proper diesel fuel is used, and certified that it was now in full compliance with the diesel fuel provisions. American has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $95,000.
For additional information, contact:
Jocelyn Adair
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2242A)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20460-0001
(202) 564-1011
adair.jocelyn@epa.gov