Skip to main content

Santa Clara County House Reps React to New Agreement Between County & FAA on Leaded Avgas

February 14, 2023

SAN JOSE, CA – Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) entered into an Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with the County of Santa Clara that suspends an ongoing FAA investigation into alleged grant violations at Reid-Hillview and San Martin airports and sets forth a framework for the airports to participate in a demonstration project that will study best practices for transitioning airports nationwide to unleaded aviation gasoline (avgas).

Today, San Jose's U.S. Representatives in Congress – Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Anna G. Eshoo (CA-16), Ro Khanna (CA-17), and Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) – who previously called on the Biden Administration to help protect vulnerable communities from lead exposure, citing the East San Jose area, reacted to the MOU:

"As the families living near Reid-Hillview Airport sadly know all too well – leaded avgas is a dangerous pollutant. It is poisoning disadvantaged communities of color, specifically children, around the country.

"At the end of 2021, Santa Clara County leaders took the proper, decisive action to ban the fuel. Since then, there have been hurdles – which we have objected to – standing in the way of that rightful ban.

"This week's MOU is welcome news for the families in East San Jose, and it is a small victory for other airport-adjacent communities in America. We have no doubt that Santa Clara County's demonstration project will, in fact, showcase that a national ban on leaded aviation fuel is in the best interests of the county.

"We have long-been calling for a national leaded avgas ban, and we renew that call today. The MOU should speed up momentum, not let it die down, for the sake of all the communities and children suffering nationwide."

In their March 9, 2022 letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the Members called for the nationwide elimination of leaded avgas to be made a priority by the Administration.

###

Image
Back to top