FAA Halts Investigation of Santa Clara County Fuel Ban

The temporary suspension is part of a new agreement between the agency and county officials.

Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 01:34 PM ET

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The FAA is temporarily suspending its investigation into Santa Clara County’s ban on leaded aviation fuel as part of a new agreement between the agency and county officials. [File Photo/ Credit: Walt Gyger]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has temporarily suspended its investigation into Santa Clara County's ban on leaded aviation fuel following a 6-month agreement with county officials.
Under the agreement, Santa Clara County's airports will participate in a nationwide study to find best practices for transitioning to unleaded aviation fuel, supporting the industry's goal for a lead-free future by 2030.
While the county claims no safety incidents from the ban, reports of misfuelling and accidents have surfaced, drawing scrutiny in a recent congressional hearing.

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The FAA is temporarily suspending its investigation into Santa Clara County’s ban on leaded aviation fuel as part of a February 8 agreement between the agency and county officials.

Under the memorandum of understanding, the FAA agreed to halt its investigation of alleged grant assurance violations at Santa Clara County Airports for six months. Meanwhile, the county and its two airports—Reid Hillview Airport and San Martin Airport—will participate in a nationwide study to find best practices for an unleaded future. According to the memorandum, the county has 60 days to develop an action plan to address the common goal of operating the airports in a safe condition.