Quiet Communities presents the “Quest for Quiet” Lunchtime Conference Series
Nearly 30 years ago, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency required a phase-out of leaded gasoline for road vehicles citing grave health concerns from lead pollution. Small aircraft, however, were allowed to continue use of leaded fuel for their operations.
Airborne lead is a health hazard that has been known to affect child development and increase risk of heart disease. Unfortunately, workers and neighbors of general aviation airports are disproportionately exposed to increasing levels of lead, and this pollution has an inequitable impact on some communities over others.The need for an accelerated transition away from leaded fuel in all applications is imperative, and so is the urgency with which this transition needs to be implemented.
- How might this transition be made possible swiftly? What kind of governance tools or private actions might be instrumental?
Accelerating the Transition to Lead-Free Fuel, part of our “Quest for Quiet” lunchtime conference series, will seek to address these questions and more, with the assistance of policymakers, government representatives, academics, legal experts and community leaders. It will also focus on:
- The communities impacted by leaded fuel;
- The technical and economic possibilities for acceleration;
- Airports in the country that are leading by example; and
- Considering the ideas presented by the public before and during the event.
The conference is being conducted in association with Boston University’s class “Research for Environmental Agencies and Organizations.” We invite the public to submit ideas on how the transition to unleaded fuel can be accelerated. You can find further information on specific questions to consider, and details on where to send the ideas here.
