Aviation groups have reiterated their call for an “orderly, nationally coordinated transition to unleaded avgas” in response to a new report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency confirming that emissions from leaded avgas may endanger public health and welfare. In a joint statement on the EPA’s latest endangerment guidance issued on October 18, industry groups including the National Business Aviation Association and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association said they will continue to work with the agency toward eliminating lead from avgas.
“While the EPA finding is a key step in the process, the EPA is not given the authority to ban, regulate, or limit aviation fuel,” said the groups' statement. “Instead the EPA’s finding triggers further deliberate rulemaking by FAA as the nation’s aviation safety regulator to ensure the successful development and deployment of viable unleaded avgas alternatives, given the critical safety and other issues at stake.”
The coalition of industry groups also includes the American Association of Airport Executives, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, American Petroleum Institute, Experimental Aircraft Association, Helicopter Association International, International Council of Air Shows, National Air Transportation Association, and National Association of State Aviation Officials.
The joint response said that the groups are committed to removing lead from avgas no later than the end of 2030. They reported “considerable progress” in making “market-viable” high-octane unleaded replacement fuels available to the U.S. piston aircraft fleet, while also maintaining safety performance.
“The premature removal of an essential fuel that many aircraft require for safe operation before a replacement is available would compromise the safety, efficiency, and economic viability of the U.S. airspace and airports, the general aviation industry and transportation infrastructure,” the groups' statement concluded.