The US EPA proposed to declare aviation lead emissions a public health hazard

Washington, October 7, 2011 The US Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday that it is proposing to declare emissions from lead-fueled piston-engine aircraft a public health hazard.

Emissions from the 190,000 U.S. general aviation aircraft operating on leaded fuel account for about 70% of all lead entering the atmosphere, according to U.S. government estimates. Lead is not present in jet fuel, which is used by commercial aircraft.

The EPA says it will propose regulatory standards for lead emissions from aircraft engines after the proposed “risk finding” is complete.

Reuters First reported In January, the EPA was reassessing whether emissions from lead-fueled piston-engine aircraft could pose a risk to public health.

In the year Airborne lead levels in the U.S. have fallen 99 percent since 1980, with piston-engined aircraft being the largest remaining source of lead emissions.

Children’s exposure to lead can cause irreversible, lifelong health damage, according to the EPA.

“When it comes to our children, the science is clear that exposure to lead can cause irreversible and lifelong health problems,” EPA Administrator Michael Reagan said in a statement Friday. Aircraft that use leaded fuel are a major source of lead. Domestic releases.”

In 2006, EPA received a petition requesting lead emission regulations from general aviation aircraft. The agency opened a process to review the case in 2010 and said it plans to issue its final findings in 2015 and 2018.

Most aircraft that run on lead aviation gasoline are small piston engine aircraft that typically carry two to 10 passengers.

Federal Aviation Administration In February, it announced a new initiative that outlines how lead aviation fuel can be phased out by the end of 2030 without adversely affecting piston-engine fleets.

Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Otis

Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.