Weeks after the FAA approved an STC on GAMI’s G100UL unleaded 100-octane avgas for virtually all piston gasoline engines, the EPA has formally proposed a finding of endangerment on 100LL, a pivotal step toward banning the blue fuel. EPA Administrator Michael Regan signed the proposal on Oct. 7 and is submitting it for publication in the Federal Register. The EPA published an initial version of the proposed endangerment finding on its website. The final Federal Register version of the proposal will replace it when it is finally published. Until it hits the Federal Register, comments are not being accepted.
“is proposing to find that lead air pollution may reasonably be anticipated to endanger the public health”
And yet it’s not reasonable.
Reasonable would involve at least studies on long term pilots, people living in airport communities, and having actual air sampling. Reasonable would also embody a sence of context and without preconceived biases and agendas.
Hopefully this will be the necessary push for the FAA to grant fleetwide drop-in approval for unleaded 100 avgas. GAMI’s G100UL is leading the way, but maybe this will streamline the process for Swift’s 100 octane unleaded fuel. Whether it’s “reasonable” to assume leaded avgas emissions measurably contribute to health issues, it is an indisputable fact that lead is not good for aircraft engines, aside from the octane boost it provides.
It is an indisputable fact that I don’t need 100 octane for my aircraft engine.
It is an indisputable fact that no-lead alternatives were doable for the last 40 years.
Only conclusion I can draw is that there was no money in making better fuel at lower cost that would benefit the better bulk of GA aircraft. Think again, it’s not about health of engines nor people; never was.
People can say, claim, or more often by a wide margin, FOLLOW whatever they want. I still have serious doubts that 100L is a significant health threat when used to the miniscule degree that is general aviation. You want to tell me that there is no political component to this, pushed by people who have no formal education in the issue and, frankly, probably wouldn’t be smart enough to comprehend actual science if their life depended on it? Political correctness and expediency, but when you reduce it to the most basic human level, jealousy that a small component of society is allowed to use anything with lead is driving the bus here. I’ll be fine with buying G100UL, or whatever it’s called, but the premise behind producing it instead of 100LL is one of the most overblown, contrived, crusades in modern history. Whatever. I’m sick of hearing this drum.
“EPA Proposes Endangerment Finding”
What: After all these years 100LL is suddenly found dangerous?
George Braly and Tim Roehl busted buns developing and proving G100UL. Our FAA jerked a knot in GAMI’s string by moving the goalpost at every turn. Health and Tetraethyllead supply concerns aside: Lead fouled plugs and stuck valves are a long neglected safety concern. The FAA needs to become the safety related force moving this transition forward. Sooner rather than later!
According to GAMI, AOPA, EAA, Continental, Lycoming, and the rest of the alphabet soup, ~75% of the GA fleet needs 100 octane fuel.
The TEL (tetraethyl lead) is the octane booster that gives us 100 octane fuel.
The GAMI G100UL IS a drop-in replacement for all piston aircraft engines as per the FAA STC issued about a month ago.
The entire fleet, Every one of them. 100% compatible with 100LL.
George Braly said in an interview right after the list at that time was 34 pages long in 10 point font.
What I find disheartening about the comments so far is how little attention people are paying to the recent events in the process, or what has actually been happening with the unleaded fuels.
I assume these are also from pilots that will be directly affected by the outcome but don’t care enough about it to stay well-informed.
Then there are those that just make crap up form their own confirmation bias and disregard reality.
They built a lot more 172’s, PA-28’s, 150’s, Cub’s, and planes with O-320’s and O-360s and O-200’s and Rotax and other non-100 octane engines that dwarf the number of of other GA planes.
100UL is another “take it or leave it” for the bulk of GA that neither needed lead nor 100 octane. Not sure how I can rejoice in paying more while still being summarily ignored.
Another “The sky is falling” lie from Government and environmentalists. “It’s killing the children”!!! Right out of the Democrat playbook. If they are that concerned, let them subsidize and help speed up production of G100UL. You think this leaded conversation is bad? Wait until they tell us all we have to go electric…Think in November!!