Can Unleaded Avgas Blunt Efforts To Close Reid-Hillview Airport? - AVweb

Well… We learned that 5 politicians can indeed vote to close an airport like Reid Hillview over a manufactured “lead crisis” last night. Despite facts that no airborne lead found by EPA or BAAQMD, and that lead levels around airport smack in middle of statewide averages, linked to paint, legacy lead in dirt from auto gas, lead plumbing, etc, the County Supervisors not only voted to close it, but voted to demand FAA close it 10 years before Grant Obligations expire… Sadly, the City of San Jose, San Jose Mineta Airport, and the Chamber of Commerce weren’t interested in helping, as they did in 1995. Now up to the FAA to decide whether to resist request to shut it down, or roll over. If litigation follows, lead in Avgas will be long gone before case ever gets to trial, but closure advocates have confirmed that even if lead gone, they just want to close it… And no, they won’t actually get cheap housing if it closes… That is what they have today, relatively…