S.Amdt. 4910

SA 4910. Mr. LAUTENBERG submitted an amendment intended to be
proposed to amendment SA 4825 proposed by Mrs. Boxer (for herself, Mr.
Warner, and Mr. Lieberman) to the bill S. 3036, to direct the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a
program to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases, and for other
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

TITLE     --AVIATION AND INTERCITY TRANSPORTATION

SEC. --001. DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS FOR AIRCRAFT.

(a) In General.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration, in coordination with the Administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, shall research
and develop viable alternative fuels whose usage results in
less greenhouse gas emissions than existing jet fuel for
commercial aircraft.
(b) Plan.--Within 120 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration shall--
(1) develop a research and development plan for the program
described in subsection (a), containing specific research and
development objectives and a timetable for achieving the
objectives; and
(2) submit a copy of the plan to Congress.

SEC. --002. AIRCRAFT ENGINE STANDARDS.

Section 44715(a) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
``(1) To relieve and protect the public health and welfare
from aircraft noise, sonic boom, and aircraft engine
emissions, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration, in consultation with the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection

[[Page S5270]]

Agency as deemed necessary, shall prescribe--
``(A) standards to measure aircraft noise and sonic boom;
``(B) regulations to control and abate aircraft noise and
sonic boom; and
``(C) emission standards applicable to the emission of any
air pollutant from any class or classes of aircraft engines
which, in the judgment of the Administrator, causes, or
contributes to, air pollution which may reasonably be
anticipated to endanger public health or welfare.''; and
(2) indenting paragraphs (2) and (3) 2 em spaces from the
left margin.

SEC. --003. AIRCRAFT DEPARTURE MANAGEMENT PILOT PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation shall
carry out a pilot program at not more than 5 public use
airports under which the Federal Aviation Administration
shall test air traffic flow management tools, methodologies,
and procedures, as well as other operational improvements
that will allow the agency to better supervise aircraft on
the ground, reduce the length of ground holds and idling time
for aircraft, and promote reduction of carbon emissions of
aircraft and at airports.
(b) Selection Criteria.--In selecting from among airports
at which to conduct the pilot program, the Secretary shall
give priority consideration to airports at which improvements
in ground control efficiencies are likely to achieve the
greatest fuel savings or air quality or other environmental
benefits, as measured by the amount of reduced fuel, reduced
emissions, or other environmental benefits per dollar of
funds expended under the pilot program.
(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit
to the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure of the and the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation a report containing--
(1) an evaluation of the effectiveness of the pilot
program, including an assessment of the tools, methodologies,
and procedures that provided the greatest fuel savings and
air quality and other environmental benefits, and any impacts
on safety, capacity, or efficiency of the air traffic control
system or the airports at which affected aircraft were
operating;
(2) an identification of anticipated environmental and
economic benefits from implementation of the tools,
methodologies, and procedures developed under the pilot
program at other airports;
(3) a plan for implementing the tools, methodologies, and
procedures developed under the pilot program at other
airports or the Secretary's reasons for not implementing such
measures at other airports; and
(4) such other information as the Secretary considers
appropriate.

SEC. --004. STUDY OF AVIATION SECTOR EMISSIONS.

(a) In General.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration shall enter into an agreement with the
National Academy of Sciences under which the Academy shall
conduct a study on emissions associated with the aviation
industry, including--
(1) a determination of appropriate data necessary to make
determinations of emission inventories, considering fuel use,
airport operations, ground equipment, and all other sources
of emissions in the aviation industry;
(2) an estimate of projected industry emissions for the
following 5-year, 20-year, and 50-year periods;
(3) based on existing literature, research, and surveys to
determine the existing best practices for emission reduction
in the aviation sector;
(4) recommendations on areas of focus for additional
research for technologies and operations with the highest
potential to reduce emissions; and
(5) recommendations of actions that the Federal Government
could take to encourage or require additional emissions
reductions.
(b) Consultation.--In developing the parameters of the
study under this section, the Administrator shall conduct the
study under this section in consultation with--
(1) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency; and
(2) other appropriate Federal agencies and departments.

SEC. --005. INTERCITY PASSENGER MOBILITY STUDY.

Within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Transportation, through the Office of Climate
Change and Environment, and in coordination with the Federal
Railroad Administration and other relevant modal
administrations at the Department, shall complete a study to
assess the impact on transportation-related emissions of
developing or expending frequent and reliable intercity
passenger rail transportation services in appropriate
intercity travel markets of 500 miles or less. The study
shall include an estimate of the potential effects of new or
improved intercity passenger rail service on transportation
energy consumption, carbon and other air emissions,
infrastructure needs, system capacity, and congestion within
such markets and shall include an estimate of the costs and
benefits to the federal government, intercity passenger rail
providers, and other transportation modes, as appropriate, of
such an enhancement of intercity passenger rail service. The
Secretary shall transmit a report on the results of the study
to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure.

SEC. --006. IMPROVEMENTS TO OFFICE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND
ENVIRONMENT.

Section 102(g) of title 49, United States Code, is amended
by adding at the end thereof the following:
``(3) Assessment of federally funded major transportation
investments.--
``(A) Beginning 1 year after the date of enactment of the
Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2008, the Office
shall perform, or require the performance of, a climate-
change impact assessment for each new federally-funded or
federally-administered transportation infrastructure or
operations project that--
``(i) receives more than half of its annual or total
funding from Department of Transportation; and
``(ii) will receive more than $500,000,000 in total Federal
funding.
``(B) The assessment shall include--
``(i) an estimate of the projected impact of the project or
program on global climate change and carbon emissions; and
``(ii) a rating for the project based on its projected
impacts.
``(C) The Office shall make each assessment available to
the public in a timely manner. The Secretary shall ensure
that assessments performed pursuant to this paragraph are
used by the Department when completing any relevant cost/
benefit or other appropriate project analysis.
``(4) Coordination with other agencies.--The Secretary,
through the Office, shall coordinate with the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, and any other relevant
Federal agencies to assist in the development of climate
change-related standards that affect the collection of data,
assessment, or development of mitigation or adaptation
strategies in the transportation industry, such as carbon
accounting standards.''.
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