BILL ANALYSIS �
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SJR 30
Author: Lieu (D)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 21
SUBJECT : Air quality: leaded aviation fuel
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution supports the Federal Aviation
Administrations initiative to certify safe unleaded aviation
fuel for piston engine aircraft and encourages the Federal
Aviation Administration and the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to prioritize the development and
certification of unleaded aviation fuel in advance of 2018.
ANALYSIS : This resolution makes the following legislative
findings:
1.Aviation gasoline, or avgas as it is commonly known, is
utilized in general aviation aircraft that are powered by
internal combustion reciprocating piston engines. Avgas is a
leaded fuel and its combustion results in toxic air emissions
of lead.
2.According to the U.S. EPA, the operation of general aviation
aircraft is the greatest source of lead emissions in
California. Lead that is emitted into the air can be inhaled
or, after it settles out of the air, ingested. Ingestion of
lead that has settled onto surfaces is the main way children
are exposed to lead originally released in the air. Once in
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the body, lead is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and
results in a broad range of health effects. Public health
officials have concluded that there is no safe level of
exposure to lead.
3.Children are especially susceptible to the toxic effects of
lead. Exposure to lead can result in irreversible brain
damage and reduce a person's cognitive function. Exposure to
low levels of lead early in life have been linked to effects
on a person's intelligence quotient, learning, memory, and
behavior.
4.Lead has been successfully removed from many consumer goods,
including household paint and toys. Lead was successfully
phased out of automobile gas in California in 1992. The U.S.
EPA adopted a similar program that phased lead out of
automobile gasoline nationwide in 1996. However, despite
successes of lead removal programs, avgas remains a public
health threat due to its high lead content and toxic air
emissions. Lead content of avgas is regulated at the federal
level. All fuels for air transportation must be certified as
safe by the Federal Aviation Administration.
5.The Federal Aviation Administration together with the U.S. EPA
has developed a goal to identify a viable unleaded avgas by
2018, which will ultimately eliminate lead emissions from
piston engine aircraft.
This resolution supports the Federal Aviation Administration's
initiative to certify safe unleaded aviation fuel for piston
engine aircraft and encourages the Federal Aviation
Administration and the U.S. EPA to prioritize the development
and certification of unleaded aviation fuel in advance of 2018.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/4/14)
Concerned Residents Against Airport Pollution
RM:nl 8/4/14 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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