Attorney General Tong Supports EPA Finding on Leaded Aviation Gas

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01/18/2023

Lawyer Normal Tong Helps EPA Discovering on Leaded Aviation Fuel

(Hartford, CT) — Lawyer Normal William Tong as we speak joined a multistate coalition of 12 attorneys normal supporting the Environmental Safety Company (EPA) proposed discovering that emissions from the combustion of leaded aviation gasoline (avgas) in piston-engine planes trigger or contribute to air air pollution that endangers public well being and welfare. If finalized, the long-overdue discovering would require the EPA to promulgate lead emission requirements and laws for piston-engine planes underneath the Clear Air Act, and require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ascertain plane gasoline requirements which might be per the plane lead emission requirements. In a remark letter, the attorneys normal urge EPA to swiftly finalize its proposed discovering and begin its rulemaking course of to guard the general public – particularly environmental justice communities located close to airports for piston-engine planes – from publicity to guide air air pollution.

“Leaded aviation gasoline from piston-engine planes is the one worst contributor of airborne lead emissions in the US. Unleaded gasoline choices can be found, and this public well being hazard is completely preventable. I be part of with attorneys normal from throughout the nation in full assist of EPA’s efforts to expedite the transition to protected gasoline sources for all plane,” mentioned Lawyer Normal Tong.

The damaging well being impacts of lead publicity are well-documented. Quick-term and extended lead publicity could cause reminiscence loss, nausea, fatigue, and improve the danger of growing hypertension, coronary heart illness, kidney illness, and infertility. Lead publicity is especially harmful for youngsters, whose growing brains and nervous programs are extra delicate to its damaging results. The impacts of lead publicity in youngsters embody behavioral points, lowered IQ, slowed physique development, and a predisposition to despair, anxiousness, or high-risk habits. There may be widespread scientific consensus that there is no such thing as a protected degree of lead publicity for youngsters.

The coalition has a vested curiosity in defending their residents from lead emissions from piston-engine airplanes. Leaded avgas is the one remaining lead-containing transportation gasoline, and its combustion is the one largest contributor of airborne lead emissions in the US. Piston-engine planes powered by leaded avgas launched greater than 930,000 kilos of lead in 2017 and are answerable for almost three-quarters of whole lead emissions nationwide.

Normal aviation airports that service these planes are sometimes positioned close to densely populated metropolitan areas, communities impacted by environmental hazards and dangers, and residential areas close to properties and colleges.

A lot, if not all, of the lead emissions from piston-engine planes could possibly be averted. In 2014, the FAA launched the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative (PAFI) to hurry up the “deployment of essentially the most promising unleaded replacements,” however regardless of FAA’s certification of varied unleaded fuels, together with two current gasoline replacements appropriate for almost all piston-engine planes, these unleaded aviation fuels haven’t efficiently penetrated the market. Lower than three p.c of U.S. airports that service piston-engine planes promote unleaded options.

Within the remark letter, the attorneys normal assist EPA’s proposed discovering and urge the company to swiftly difficulty a ultimate endangerment dedication and provoke a rulemaking to control lead emissions from avgas. Within the remark letter, the attorneys normal argue:

· States have a vested curiosity in defending their residents from the general public well being harms related to publicity to guide air pollution from piston-engine planes that use leaded avgas;
· Leaded avgas is a big and preventable supply of airborne lead air pollution; and
· EPA should swiftly finalize its proposed discovering and tackle the intense public well being and environmental justice harms posed by avgas in a rulemaking for plane lead emissions.

Lawyer Normal Tong joins the attorneys normal of California, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin in submitting the feedback.

A duplicate of the letter could be discovered here.

Assistant Lawyer Normal Daniel Salton and Matthew Levine, Deputy Affiliate Lawyer Normal/Chief of the Atmosphere Part are aiding the Lawyer Normal on this matter.

Twitter: @AGWilliamTong

Fb: CT Attorney General