BILL ANALYSIS �
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SR 59
Author: Lieu (D)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: Majority
SUBJECT : Aviation gasoline
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution expresses the Senates support for the
Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) initiative to certify
safe unleaded aviation fuel for piston engine aircraft and
encourages the FAA 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.
CONTINUED
SR 59
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3.Once in 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. 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 (IQ), 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 FAA.
This resolution expresses the Senate's support for the FAA's
initiative to certify safe unleaded aviation fuel for piston
engine aircraft and encourages the FAA and the U.S. EPA to
prioritize the development and certification of unleaded
aviation fuel in advance of 2018.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
RM:k 8/19/14 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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