I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3419
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
conduct a feasibility study for applying airport bubbles as a method 
of identifying, assessing, and reducing the adverse environmental impacts 
of airport ground and flight operations and improving the overall quality 
of the environment, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 30, 2003
Mr. ROTHMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency to conduct a feasibility study for applying 
airport bubbles as a method of identifying, assessing, 
and reducing the adverse environmental impacts of air-
port ground and flight operations and improving the 
overall quality of the environment, and for other pur-
poses.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Right to Know About 
Airport Pollution Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
(1) the serious ground level ozone, noise, water 
pollution, and solid waste disposal problems attend-
ant to airport operations require a thorough evalua-
tion of all significant sources of pollution; 
(2) the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et 
seq.)—
(A) requires each State to reduce emis-
sions contributing to ground level ozone prob-
lems and maintain those reductions; and 
(B) requires the Administrator of the En-
vironmental Protection Agency to study, in ad-
dition to other sources, the effects of sporadic, 
extreme noise (such as jet noise near airports) 
on public health and welfare; 
(3) the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
(33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) establishes a regulatory 
and enforcement program for discharges of wastes 
into waters; 
(4) the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 
300f et seq.) establishes primary drinking water 
standards and a ground water control program;
(5) the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 
6901 et seq.) regulates management and disposal of 
solid and hazardous waste; 
(6) a study of air pollution problems in Cali-
fornia—
(A) has determined that airports are sig-
nificant sources of air pollution; and 
(B) has led to the creation of an airport 
bubble concept; and 
(7) the airport bubble concept is an approach 
that—
(A) treats an airport and the area within 
a specific radius around the airport as a single 
source of pollution that emits a range of pollut-
ants, including air, noise, water, and solid 
waste; and 
(B) seeks, by implementation of specific 
programs or regulations, to reduce the pollution 
from each source within the bubble and thereby 
reduce the overall pollution in that area. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to require 
the Administrator to conduct—
(1) a feasibility study for applying airport bub-
bles to airports as a method of assessing and reduc-
ing, where appropriate, air, noise, water, and solid
waste pollution in and around the airports and im-
proving overall environmental quality; and 
(2) a study of air pollutant emission standards 
established by the Environmental Protection Agency 
for airplane engines to determine whether it is fea-
sible and desirable to strengthen the standards. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(2) AIRPORT BUBBLE.—The term ‘‘airport bub-
ble’’ means an area—
(A) in and around an airport (or other fa-
cility using aircraft) within which sources of 
pollution and levels of pollution from those 
sources are to be identified and reduced; and 
(B) containing a variety of types of air, 
noise, water, and solid waste sources of pollu-
tion in which the aggregate of each type of pol-
lutant from the respective sources is regulated 
as if the various sources were a single source. 
SEC. 4. STUDY OF USING AIRPORT BUBBLES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall conduct 
a study to determine the feasibility of regulating air, noise,
water, and solid waste pollution from all sources in and 
around airports using airport bubbles. 
(b) WORKING GROUP.—In conducting the study, the 
Administrator shall establish and consult with a working 
group comprised of—
(1) the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration (or a designee); 
(2) the Secretary of Defense (or a designee); 
(3) the Secretary of Transportation (or a des-
ignee); 
(4) a representative of air quality districts; 
(5) a representative of environmental research 
groups; 
(6) a representative of State Audubon Societies; 
(7) a representative of the Sierra Club; 
(8) a representative of the Nature Conservancy; 
(9) a representative of port authorities of 
States; 
(10) an airport manager; 
(11) a representative of commanding officers of 
military air bases and stations; 
(12) a representative of the bus lines that serve 
airports who is familiar with the emissions testing 
and repair records of those buses, the schedules of
those lines, and any problems with delays in service 
caused by traffic congestion; 
(13) a representative of the taxis and lim-
ousines that serve airports who is familiar with the 
emissions testing and repair records of the taxis and 
limousines and the volume of business generated by 
the taxis and limousines; 
(14) a representative of local law enforcement 
agencies or other entities responsible for traffic con-
ditions in and around airports; 
(15) a representative of the Air Transport As-
sociation; 
(16) a representative of the Airports Council 
International-North America; 
(17) a representative of environmental special-
ists from airport authorities; and 
(18) a representative from an aviation union 
representing ground crews. 
(c) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.—In conducting the study, 
the Administrator shall—
(1) collect, analyze, and consider information on 
the variety of stationary and mobile sources of air, 
noise, water, and solid waste pollution within airport 
bubbles around airports in the United States, includ-
ing—