Avgas Battle Resurfaces with New Lawsuit

Bethany Whitfield

Thursday, March 15, 2012 at 10:21 PM ET

Verified

** Despite the recent lawsuit, industry leaders
say avgas will remain available.**

Key Takeaways:

Friends of the Earth has sued the EPA, alleging the agency failed to act on a 2006 petition to designate leaded avgas as a public health danger and regulate it under the Clean Air Act.
The lawsuit aims to compel the EPA to quickly establish regulations to protect public health, potentially requiring a court-ordered evaluation of avgas's threat.
The General Aviation Avgas Coalition reassures the community that the near-term availability of leaded aviation fuel is not threatened by this legal action.
The Coalition defends industry progress, stating that lead emissions have been reduced by 93% in 30 years and that the EPA has actively monitored emissions and assisted in developing unleaded fuel alternatives.

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A lawsuit filed last week by the environmental protection group Friends of the Earth is drawing renewed attention to the debate over leaded avgas, prompting a number of aviation industry leaders to speak out in defense of the industry’s progress on the issue.

The suit, filed against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), alleges the EPA has not properly responded to a 2006 petition from Friends of the Earth calling for the designation of leaded avgas as a potential danger to public health and the subsequent regulation of the substance under the Clean Air Act.