Factions Claim Children’s Blood Lead Levels Living Near Airport Allegedly Similar to Flint Water Crisis

The County of Santa Clara alongside a coalition of community groups (often associated with anti-aviation programs) represented by Earthjustice filed a petition calling on the EPA to take steps to eliminate lead pollution from aircraft across the US.

The Petition follows a study commissioned by the County of Santa Clara on lead exposure risks for 13,000 children living near Reid-Hillview Airport in East San José, which is located in the heart of Silicon Valley. 

Various anti-airport political factions and property developers have been trying to get the airport closed down for many years -- this appears to be their latest weapon. 

The study reportedly claims that children living downwind of the airport had blood lead level increases on par with those detected during the peak of the Flint Water Crisis. During high traffic hours at the airport, children within a half mile of the airport allegedly had an increased blood lead level of .83 micrograms per deciliter—nearly twice that observed at the height of the Flint Water Crisis.

“This is a health and equity crisis that extends far beyond our county’s borders, and we are taking urgent action to protect our residents and residents across the country from exposure to lead from aircraft operations,” said County of Santa Clara Supervisor Cindy Chavez, who represents the district in which Reid-Hillview Airport is located.

Leaded aviation fuel was banned in most automotives in 1996, but still in use today in leaded aviation fuel. Nearly 170,000 piston-engine aircrafts use this fuel and reportedly accounts for 70% of lead released into the air in the US. 

The anti-aviation factions paid little notice to the extraordinary GA efforts underway to develop unleaded aviation fuels and most specifically, the progress made in recent months.

Last Tuesday, at its first public meeting after the release of the Reid-Hillview lead study, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to take all available actions immediately.

FMI:  www.news.sccgov.org/news-release/study-commissioned-county-santa-clara-finds-increased-lead-levels-children-living-near