Just when you might have thought that things couldn't get any more ponderous for aviation than they are right now comes word that the EPA is taking aim at us... again. NBAA is carefully monitoring developments following a formal ruling, issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last Friday, that greenhouse gases, including aviation emissions, threaten public health. The ruling could mean that the agency might step in to regulate emissions from aircraft and other sources as public health hazards depending on congressional action on climate change legislation.

The EPA is making a big deal of this... “...greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations. Fortunately, it follows President Obama’s call for a low carbon economy and strong leadership in Congress on clean energy and climate legislation,” said Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “This pollution problem has a solution – one that will create millions of green jobs and end our country’s dependence on foreign oil.”

Aviation is not unsympathetic to the problems espoused by many, but many also believe that the science involved bears more study. In the meantime, aviation does what it can to remain as environmentally friendly as circumstances dictate. "As we know, business aviation has a long-standing record of progress on emissions reduction," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen.

"Nevertheless, Washington policy makers continue to review aviation emissions as part of an ongoing study of all transportation emissions, and this ruling is more evidence of that fact."
Bolen noted that EPA officials have said the agency will gather public input over a 60-day period before taking any further actions.

FMI: http://epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.html