California Bill Proposes Statewide Ban on Leaded Aviation Fuel
The continued use of leaded aviation fuel is not just an environmental issue—it's a direct
attack on the health and well-being of local working families living close to the airports...My
heart aches knowing that every day our children are exposed to this danger.
–Crystal Reyes from the Shut Down the Whiteman
Airport Coalition
On Thursday 2/15/2024 California State Senator Caroline Menjivar held a press conference to announce legislation calling for a statewide ban on leaded aviation fuel. A prominent theme raised by the Senator and the diverse group of speakers at the event was the disproportionate negative impact airports like Van Nuys and Whiteman have on communities of color.
To access a link to this 26 minute video click here.
The excerpts below are from the text of the bill.
SB 1193 would prohibit an airport operator or aviation retail establishment, as defined, from selling, distributing, or otherwise making available leaded aviation gasoline to consumers, consistent with a specified timeline...
This bill would require the [Transportation] department, in consultation with the State Department of Public Health and the California Environmental Protection Agency, to identify best management practices for reducing public health and environmental exposures to lead associated with airport operations. The bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2025, to publish on its internet website initial guidance for airport operators regarding best airport operating practices to minimize environmental and public health impacts of lead exposure.
This bill would require each airport operator, on or before November 1, 2025, to submit to the department, and begin implementing, a plan to implement the best practices identified by the department to minimize environmental impacts and public health risks associated with leaded aviation gasoline use at airports.
This bill would provide that a person in violation of the prohibition on selling, distributing, or otherwise making available leaded aviation gasoline to consumers is subject to a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per day that leaded aviation gasoline was sold, distributed, or supplied.
Section 21710 provides a time-line for the prohibition of leaded fuel at California airports.
21710. (a) An airport operator or aviation retail establishment shall not sell, distribute, or otherwise make available leaded aviation gasoline to consumers consistent with the following timeline:
(1) Beginning January 1, 2026, for airports and aviation retail establishments located in or adjacent to either of the following:
(A) A disadvantaged community, as identified pursuant to Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code.
(B) A city with a population of at least 700,000 as of January 1, 2024, as determined using the latest official estimate published by the Department of Finance.
(2) Beginning January 1, 2028, for airports and aviation retail establishments located in or immediately adjacent to an urban growth boundary.
(3) Beginning January 1, 2030, for all other airports and aviation retail establishments.
(b) For purposes of this section, "aviation retail establishment" means any public or private entity that sells aviation gasoline, or offers or otherwise makes available aviation gasoline to a customer, including other businesses or government entities, for use in this state.
To access the full text of the bill click here.
GAMI Fuel Will Soon be Available in California
According to a 2/12/2024 AVweb article by Russ Niles, GAMI G100UL Eyed to Go on Sale in California By Summer.
"Aircraft operators in California will likely be the first to be able to fill their tanks with unleaded 100 octane aviation fuel. General Aviation Modifications Inc. head of engineering George Braly told AVweb the company has signed a licensing agreement with petroleum company Vitol Aviation and that company is now in the process of producing the first large-scale batches of G100UL® avgas. At this time, the expectation is that G100UL avgas will be available to the West Coast in the first half of this year. "The initial deployment will be in California," said Braly."
To read the entire article click here.
A 3/30/2023 YouTube presentation, Safely Using Unleaded Avgas - G100UL, by George Braly, an aeronautical engineer who co-founded General Aviation Modifications, Inc (GAMI), discussed the distribution and deployment of GAMI fuel in California. The section on the initial roll-out of the fuel on the West Coast begins around the 32:12 minute mark of the video.
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