The Environmental Protection Agency on Oct. 18 determined lead emissions from aircraft a public health and environmental crisis, with associated research revealing Maricopa County having a major issue.
The EPA determined lead emissions from aircraft engines cause or contribute to air pollution and definitively endanger public health under the Clean Air Act. EPA must now propose and promulgate regulatory standards for lead emissions for certain aircraft engines.
According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Nexus, blood lead levels in children are higher near airports, with children east and predominantly downwind from airports showing higher traces.
