CENTENNIAL, Colo. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final determination on leaded fuel Wednesday, saying the use of the fuel poses a risk to the public's health.
"The science is clear: exposure to lead can cause irreversible and life-long health effects in children," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.
Lead emissions have been an urgent public health issue, which is why the EPA says it wants to protect everyone's health and reduce people's exposure to lead. According to the agency's determination, lead exposure can be harmful, as it could affect someone's cognitive function, IQ and academic performance, as well as increase the risk of other health concerns.
The EPA said aircraft operating on leaded aviation fuel are usually small piston-engine aircraft that carry two to 10 passengers, and that the aircraft are about 45 to 47 years old— commercially-used jet aircraft do not use leaded fuel. Airborne lead levels have declined in the U.S. since 1980, but leaded fuel still poses a risk to the public's health and air pollution, according to the agency's release.
Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a new initiative to eliminate leaded aviation fuel.
Two Colorado airports have already announced switching from leaded fuel to unleaded fuel: Rocky Mountain Metro Airport (RMMA) and Centennial Airport.
Centennial Airport was the first airport to announce this transition in March, while RMMA announced earlier this month that they are working to make an accelerated transition before 2030, the deadline set by the FAA.
Chris Thompson, the communications manager at Centennial Airport, says the Board of Commissioners approved the motion for planes to start using 94UL— which he said is an unleaded option for aviation fuel— in March. In May, it became available for an aircraft that can operate with that fuel, Thompson said. He added that the airport is now trying to make a push to where unleaded fuel will be available to all planes.
"We've seen about 20% of the aviation fuel sold at Centennial since May has been the 94 unleaded octane. So our users are using the product when they can. We are just trying to get everybody who's able to use it to use the product," Thompson said.
Thompson said Centennial Airport hopes this recent EPA report will allow the FAA to make regulations and push fuel suppliers to create a safe product for aircraft to use.
Read the full EPA final determination here.
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