At the regular Santa Clara County Board of Supervisor virtual meeting held on Tuesday, officials from Santa Clara County discussed the findings published in an airborne lead study report recently released regarding the environmental impact of the airport on the surrounding community.
Reid-Hillview Airport Battles Misconceptions
Key Takeaways:
- Santa Clara County officials discussed a study linking Reid-Hillview Airport's leaded fuel to higher blood lead levels in local children, intensifying calls from community groups to close the airport.
- However, the study's reported elevated lead levels in children around the airport were found to be comparable to regional averages, and it did not fully account for other potential lead sources like industrial facilities or old lead-based paint.
- In response, airport operators are proactively transitioning from 100LL leaded avgas to unleaded Swift 94UL fuel, which the study's primary researcher agreed would achieve the same lead reduction as closing the airport.
- Airport advocates view the lead issue as the latest in a 30-year campaign driven by developers interested in the land, warning that closing the airport based on this precedent could impact other airports nationwide.
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