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In a step toward eliminating the use of leaded fuel at the Livermore Municipal Airport, the City Council approved a resolution Monday amending the minimum standards for commercial aeronautical activities to require the provision of unleaded aviation fuel.
The update to the minimum standards requires the airport’s fixed-base operator, Five Rivers Aviation, to provide the option for unleaded aviation fuel on the airfield within 24 months. However, the resolution does allow some flexibility so that in the event the FBO cannot comply within the established timeframe, the city may grant extensions as deemed appropriate.
According to the city staff report, the availability and ability to provide unleaded aviation fuel that could safely and reliably replace the use of leaded fuel at the airport may necessitate the extension of the timeline identified in the resolution.
The resolution was passed with a 4-0 vote, as Councilmember Ben Barrientos was absent.
“The goal is to transition to a fully unleaded gas at the airport as quickly as possible. I understand that’s not an easy process, but I believe everyone here is committed to that as fast as we possibly can do it,” Councilmember Evan Branning said.
The approved version of the document also includes a slight change of language proposed by Branning to be more general about the unleaded fuel alternatives that would be allowed to account for future innovations in fuel types such as hydrogen or other options.
Following community requests for the airport to make a switch to unleaded gas, the City Council directed staff on Oct. 23 to update the commercial minimum standards. Prior to Monday night’s council meeting, the minimum standards were last adopted by the council on March 25, 2019.
Acting airport manager Benny Stuth delivered a presentation to the council Monday outlining background information about the current fuel options available at the Livermore airport as well as the plans and process for phasing out the use of leaded gas altogether.
The two types of fuel sold at the airport now are 100-octane Low Lead — also known as 100LL — and Jet A, a kerosene-based fuel.
Concerns raised by the community over the course of many years about the use of leaded fuel were bolstered by the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent declaration that leaded fuel emissions are an endangerment to public health as well as the Federal Aviation Administration’s mandate that leaded fuel must be eventually discontinued altogether and replaced by unleaded alternatives.
To achieve its goal, the FAA has been working with industry partners to formulate unleaded alternatives by 2030 as part of the “Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions” (EAGLE) initiative. However, in the meantime, the agency has determined that federally obligated airports — like Livermore — must continue to offer leaded aviation fuel until a viable alternative is available.
Stuth noted in his presentation that although a 100LL alternative has been approved by the FAA for general use under a separate effort outside of EAGLE, it is not yet available in the marketplace.
Additionally, Stuth said a 94-octane alternative — UL94 — is also currently available but only to a limited number of aircraft with a certain type of engine.
The UL94 fuel is offered at several airports including San Martin, Reid Hillview, Hayward, San Carlos, Watsonville, Oxnard, Van Nuys, Burbank, Santa Monica and Long Beach alongside the 100LL leaded fuel. The airports must continue offering the leaded option in addition to the UL94 to comply with current FAA regulations.
Santa Clara County is the only one to outright ban leaded fuel, however, that move is currently under investigation by the FAA.
A handful of public commenters spoke during the meeting, mostly expressing support for the resolution overall but also addressing concerns about the timeline. Majority of the speakers deemed two years too long of a stretch and urged the city to consider shortening it to one year.
According to the staff report, the two years are broken up into six months to have an approvable plan in place, one year for environmental documentation, entitlement, design and permitting; and six months thereafter for the addition/provision of unleaded fuel at the airport including construction if required.
Staff noted that there is a chance the airport could become compliant with the minimum standard change much quicker. The city is currently working with the Bay Area Air Management Quality District to recertify a spare fuel tank that is already at the airfield to allow for unleaded fuel. This would eliminate the need for the city to purchase and install a new tank and instead be able to utilize an existing resource.
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Haha, is this another unfunded government mandate? When are they going to mandate that all gas stations replace their pumps with EV chargers?