The federal government is expanding an effort to transition the nation’s aviation sector away from leaded aviation gas, known as avgas, through a grant program that will help smaller airports begin the process.
One of the first “pollution prevention” grants targeting the avgas transition was awarded to the California Department of Public Health and was announced Tuesday.
The roughly $750,000 grant comes after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a final determination in October that said that avgas posed environmental and health risks and should be regulated under the federal Clean Air Act.
The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking to transition away from leaded avgas completely by 2030 under a program called Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE).
Avgas is the last leaded fuel used in the nation and accounts for the vast majority of airborne lead pollution. Nearly all commercial and military jets use fuel that does not contain lead, but smaller planes known as covered aircraft, like Cessnas and Beechcraft, still use fuel that contains lead.
The list of airports the state’s Department of Public Health will work with has not yet been finalized.
The Department of Public Health recommends testing children who live near an airport for blood lead levels.
Other recommendations include using a high-efficiency air particulate filter at home, covering exposed soil with plants or other cover, removing shoes when entering the home, washing children’s hands often, and wet-wiping surfaces when cleaning.
Glad I’m not a small plane owner, If you bought a home near an airport, shame on you.
Ah, yes. How dare people buy homes where they can afford to!
The continued goal to transition people away from California. It appears to be working.
Are Aircraft mechanics and people working at airports having problems? There must be a study.
Yup, those air traffic back-ups are really affecting our children.!
AD
Give me a break… almost everyone alive before 1996 has ingested leaded gas vapors (banned in 1996) as well as heavy hydrocarbons before catalytic converters. Now if we follow a motorcycle or classic car around we complain of the odor….”that was the way everything smelled before” not lead but it always was before catalytic converters. The very small percentage of private planes that require lead in gas for valve lubrication are insignificant and when comparing to all the cars that used it throughout history … not even a drop in the bucket. Next we will be complaining about toxic hairspray ingestion or accidentally swallowed toothpaste getting our children sick.
I miss the smell. Bring back leaded gas and girls with aqua net hair.
@A.A you nailed it
Ok you test them, now what?