The EPA Publishes an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) ...

... which could spell the end of the use of leaded aviation gasoline in piston aircraft in the U.S. It’s a prospect that has been hanging over the head of general aviation for two decades. Aviation groups are positioning the move as “a key opportunity for the general aviation community to provide comment regarding this possible new environmental standard and into the development of a plan for identifying, evaluating, and ultimately transitioning to an unleaded fuel. This is particularly important given the technical complexity and safety implications of removing lead from aviation gasoline since there is not a high-octane replacement unleaded avgas available today that meets the requirements of the entire GA fleet.” Two statistics of note from EPA … Emissions of lead from piston-engine aircraft using leaded avgas comprise approximately half of the national inventory of lead emitted to air. EPA estimates that approximately 14.6 billion gallons of leaded avgas were consumed between 1970 and 2007, emitting approximately 34,000 tons of lead. In the ANPR, the EPA recognizes the complexity involved in identifying and safely transitioning to an alternative gasoline, stating, "Converting in-use aircraft/engines to operate on unleaded aviation gasoline would be a significant logistical challenge, and in some cases a technical challenge as well." Part of that logistical challenge includes the transport and storage of any newly developed fuel, should one be uncovered. And, of course, there’s the potential that thousands of GA aircraft will require some sort of engine modification(s) with a new fuel. Finding an alternative to leaded avgas has not been an easy task, but it is one that industry and FAA have attempted to address for years. Notably, Phillips 66 and FAA worked tirelessly for some ten years trying to accomplish the feat, without success. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the next step “is to consider the information presented in the ANPR and comments received from the public to determine whether, in the Administrator’s judgment, aircraft lead emissions from aircraft using leaded aviation gasoline cause or contribute to air pollution which may be reasonably anticipated to endanger public health or welfare. EPA will also be considering comments from the public and continuing conversations with FAA and industry about issues associated with potential future emission standards.” It is it hard to imagine, given the current attitude of the Obama Administration toward climate change, that EPA will arrive at any determination other than leaded avgas is a polluter that needs to be stopped. The bigger question is how the agency moves to implement change. If there is good news it is that technology may come to the rescue. The ideal would be to uncover a new fuel which can simply be dropped into pipelines, fuel trucks, storage tanks … and aircraft engines. Or, it could in time present an opportunity for another “cash for clunkers” program, this time for aircraft. Just a thought. Thanks for reading. jfi (View the ANPR at :http://www.epa.gov/otaq/aviation.htm )