"EPA today [Wednesday] announced plans to “review and evaluate” whether emissions from piston-engine aircraft operating on leaded fuel — the largest source of atmospheric lead pollution — endanger public health and welfare.
The agency will issue a proposal on leaded aviation fuel in 2022 and finalize it in 2023.
EPA’s announcement comes in response to petitions it received in August from health organizations including Alaska Community Action on Toxics, the Center for Environmental Health and Friends of the Earth.
“Protecting children’s health and reducing lead exposure are interlocking priorities at the core of EPA’s agenda,” agency Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. “EPA has been investigating the air quality impact of lead emissions from piston-engine aircraft near airports for years, and now we’re going to apply that information to determine whether this pollution endangers human health and welfare.”"
