From QChron.com:
Obama administration aims to fight climate change from emissions
The Environmental Protection Agency will regulate pollution from airplanes — an issue that affects many Queens residents, given the presence of LaGuardia and JFK airports — in an effort to curb climate change, the agency announced on Monday.
“Addressing pollution from aircraft is an important element of U.S. efforts to address climate change,” EPA spokeswoman Janet McCabe said in a prepared statement. “EPA has already set effective [greenhouse gas emissions] standards for cars and trucks and any future aircraft engine standards will also provide important climate and public health benefits.”
New emissions standards were not named in the announcement, but according to The New York Times, some who follow the Obama administration’s climate change policies estimate that a draft of the rules could be released in January.
According to the EPA, 3 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. come from airplanes, as do 12 percent of the transportation industry’s emissions.
“I think it’s long overdue,” quiet skies advocate Susan Carroll of Flushing told the Chronicle. “I don’t know why the airline industry was exempt from limits on emissions up to this point and time.”
“Queens Quiet Skies applauds the decision to regulate aviation air pollution caused by aircraft fuel emissions,” Queens Quiet Skies President Janet McEneaney said in an emailed statement. “Evidence has mounted steadily about the detrimental effects of aviation air pollution on public health, particularly on developing children and fetuses.”
McEneaney added that she believes more needs to be done in regard to aviation policy.
“But let’s not stop there,” she added. “The EPA should also regulate the already-demonstrated public health hazards caused by excessive aviation noise. We need to set a watchdog on the airlines, so that the skies and our air quality are safe and healthy for all.”
State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside), who has advocated for the airplane noise burden facing Queens residents to be reduced, had similar remarks about the announcement.
“I was very happy to learn of the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent declaration that jet engine exhaust is a threat to public health and I encourage the agency to act quickly in developing its regulations,” Avella said in a prepared statement. “However, I would be even more elated if the EPA were to acknowledge the significant environmental threat to public health from the ‘noise focusing’ impacts being caused by new departure and arrival paths at our airports.”
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