Alaska Senators Oppose EPA’s 100LL Avgas Endangerment Finding

A report published yesterday (Dec. 12) by Alaska Public Media notes that the state’s legislators are pushing back on the recent EPA endangerment finding on leaded aviation gasoline. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan have filed a resolution to reverse the EPA finding. Murkowski said, “This EPA decision could have a deeply negative impact on the affordability and accessibility of fuel, availability of travel, and safety for Alaskans across the state. It must be stopped.”

Sullivan added that the ruling could lead to “a devastating chain of events that could lead to supply train disruptions and severe price hikes for Alaskans.”

Noting that the general aviation industry, fuel suppliers and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been working for years on a safe and orderly transition to unleaded aviation gasoline, the report also cites input from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. AOPA senior VP of government affairs Jim Coon said, “The EPA’s endangerment finding kicks off a multi-year regulatory process in which the FAA is now required to develop a pathway to an unleaded future for aviation. It’s very important to us, and I think everyone understands the need to do this safely and smartly.”

While the report acknowledges that lead exposure has been proven to be a significant health hazard, it also cites EPA findings that 99% of lead emissions have been eliminated since 1980, when the industry began phasing out leaded automotive gasoline. The news report cites AOPA’s Coon, who put the issue in perspective, noting, “The total number of gallons the [general aviation] fleet burns in a year amounts to what American cars burn in four hours on an average day.”