Claim: Lead from aviation fuel is an immediate public health emergency and airports should be shut down until lead is gone!

The EPA concluded in 2023 that lead emissions from piston‑engine aircraft are an endangerment; this initiates federal rulemaking. The FAA and industry launched initiatives (EAGLE) to enable an orderly transition to unleaded fuels by 2030. An immediate shutdown would cause major harms to emergency services and local economies; a regulated phased transition with incentives and monitoring is the practical path.

The fact of the matter is pilots are all for getting the lead out. Did you know that we have to change our oil every 25-50 hours because of leaded fuel? That’s right, it fouls spark plugs, contaminates oil, and creates excessive cost to operating a piston plane. We’re all for getting rid of it.

Did you also know it’s not up to pilots and local airports? That’s right. Unleaded fuels are still being developed. Planes cannot run car unleaded fuels. The current unleaded fuels have not passed testing from aircraft engine manufacturers yet. They are working on it, but we cannot switch until there is a proven fuel that doesn’t blow up aircraft engines. You don’t want planes falling out of the sky, right?

We are all hoping that by 2030, right around the corner, this will all be a moot point. There isn’t anything legislatively that can be done to hurry it along.

• EPA — Federal Register finding Oct 20, 2023: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/10/20/2023-23247/finding-that-lead-emissions-from-aircraft-engines-that-operate-on-leaded-fuel-cause-or-contribute-to

• EPA news release: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-determines-lead-emissions-aircraft-engines-cause-or-contribute-air-pollution

• FAA — Building an Unleaded Future (EAGLE): https://www.faa.gov/unleaded