A coalition of attorneys general from 12 states, including New York, California, and the District of Columbia, wrote a letter to the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in support of the following proposed finding that lead emissions from aircraft fuel (also known as avgas) are a risk to public health.
The AGs say their comments — substantiated by a litany of referenced scientific studies from places like the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the EPA, and the Federal Aviation Administration — prove that avgas poses a serious danger to public health and environmental justice in the affected states. They suggest the EPA should act with immediacy in order to protect the communities in close proximity to these pollution sites, as well as the EPA should initiate regulations for the amount of lead in the emissions of piston plane engines.
The letter, in sum, notes that lead is harmful to human health, leaded avgas is a significant and preventable source of airborne lead pollution, and avgas poses serious public health harms for states.
The letter cites the aforementioned studies with reference to each pertinent state, detailing specifically where the pollution risks for avgas usage are located.
The letter concludes that the EPA must promptly announce and commit to a timeframe to promulgate federal lead air emissions standards under the Clean Air Act.
