1 Vernice Hankins
From: Ursula Fox <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2021 11:43 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Fairview Library
EXTERNAL
Please, open the Fairview Branch Library. Even if it is only part time. It is sorely missed in our neighborhood. Thank you.
Ursula Fox
31st Street
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1 Vernice Hankins
From: Charles Blum <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2021 4:33 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: David White; Oscar de la Torre; Kristin McCowan; Sue Himmelrich; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; Andrew Wilder
Subject: Leaded Avgas: Santa Clara County and the CDC
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I wanted to wish you all happy holidays and a healthy new year.
I wanted to update you on a couple issues regarding the handling of unleaded avgas:
Over FAA’s objection, Santa Clara County’s airports will switch to unleaded gas for small planes. December 28, 2021
Despite facing a possible loss of Federal Aviation Administration funding, Santa Clara County officials declared Monday they won’t back off from their plan to start fueling planes at its airports with unleaded gasoline this weekend.
“We will not modify our approach,” County Executive Jeff Smith said when asked about the FAA’s objections. “Lead free by Jan. 1.”
The FAA’s opposition to the fuel change from leaded gas is part of a wider investigation it has launched against the county. In a Dec. 22 letter to county officials, the FAA said the county doesn’t have the authority to order the fuel change and could violate certain agreements the airport has with the federal government if it follows through.
“It appears the County is unilaterally moving forward with its plans to ban the sale and use of (unleaded fuel) at the airports without the input, advance notice, or prior approval of the FAA,” the letter states. [Click on link above for more information]
I have written a couple letters to the CDC about clearly stating their position on the serious dangers of leaded avgas. Currently the CDC does the absolute minimum to address aviation fuel and children exposure [https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/prevention/sources.htm] "Children who live near airports may be exposed to lead in air and soil from aviation gas.’ I believe it is important that they clearly state the seriousness of the problem. Since all federal agencies seem to have each other back where the CDC is protecting the EPA and the EPA is protecting the FAA’s ability to continue to promote the use of leaded aviation fuel. Someone needs to stand up for the children and residents around the airports, similarly to the way Santa Clara County is putting their foot down on the use of any leaded aviation fuel. Luckily the City of Santa Monica has no funds to withhold or give back, like Santa Clara County, since our final grant term with the FAA ended in 2015.
While I appreciate your votes and support we need to follow things through as soon as possible. Santa Monica might have greater insulation if a group of airports are following Santa Clara’s lead.
Please see my communications with the CDC chronologically with my first inquiry and then their response:
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2 Sent: 11/26/2021
From: Clinician
Subject: CDC's Position Statement on Leaded Avgas and Children's Health Email Address: [email protected]
Question: I have been doing research into the effects of Leaded Avgas used at general aviation airports nationally and its affect on children's (neurological, cardiovascular, and renal) health. From my search of the literature it seems as though the EPA notes that lead in the air, food, and soil is toxic, but it has refused to make an "endangerment finding on lead emissions from piston-engine aircraft.," which allows the FAA to support its use in all general aviation airports.
I can send you whatever research and information I have gathered but think if you are a healthcare researcher you likely already have this at your finger tips However I have written a paper on this topic and have multiple published peer reviewed and governmental filed documents easy to access that I can send you.
I think a statement from the CDC on its recommendation on the use of leaded avgas in regions where children reside, play, and go to school would help shine a light on the EPA's lack of responsiveness. Just in this past year it was determined that there is no safe level of lead in the air for children and the toxic zone radius of effect has increased from just over 1/2 mile to 1 1/2 miles of any general aviation airport. This is a national public health crisis that is not being addressed or even acknowledged by our federal agencies.
Name: Charles Blum
____________________________
December 10, 2021
Thank you for your inquiry to CDC-INFO.
Your request for information was forwarded to the CDC Lead. We hope you find their reply helpful.
CDC acknowledges the harmful effects of lead from many sources, including AVGAS. We cannot speak for the Environmental Protection Agency or the Federal Aviation Administration, with respect to the ongoing use of this fuel, and encourage you to engage with them directly.
Thanks,
Madeline
____________________________
From: Charles Blum <[email protected]>;
Received: Sat Dec 11 2021 04:12:05 GMT-0700 (Mountain Standard Time) To: CDC Inbound Email Queue <[email protected]> Subject: Re: CDC INFO; Topic CDC's Position Statement on Leaded Avgas and Children's Health; [CDC-2196147-K4V5S4] CRM:00725511
Dear Madeline,
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3 Thank you so much for taking the time to respond from your busy schedule.
RE: "CDC acknowledges the harmful effects of lead from many sources, including AVGAS. We cannot speak for the Environmental Protection Agency or the Federal Aviation Administration, with respect to the ongoing use of this fuel, and encourage you to engage with them directly.”
With due respect this statement seems like a discounting side step from my request. The CDC would not have to speak out directly to the EPA or FAA but needs to speak out to the nation about the issue of health, safety, and disease control regarding Leaded AvGas and its affect on our Children.
What I think would be appropriate for the CDC is to produce a clear, statement on the CDC's concern about the use of leaded avgas by general aviation in regions where children reside, play, and go to school.
Leaded AvGas contributes to over 70% of all the lead in the air around general aviation airports for at least a mile and half radius perimeter of an airport. Children under six years old are most affected but even children and adults are subjected to this heavy metal toxic load at levels both the CDC and EPA have noted are dangerous to the health.
A statement by the CDC is crucial due to the amount of toxic load the leaded AvGas yields to the environment and the profound health consequences this leaded toxin has on our developing children.
Please consider taking a stand for America’s children and their safety as they learn in adjacent elementary schools/pre-schools, play in play grounds within the 1 1/2 mile radius, and live in neighborhoods near general aviation airports.
Thank you for your kind consideration.
Warm Regards,
Charles
____________________________
December 20, 2021
[email protected]
Thank you for your inquiry to CDC-INFO.
Your request for information was forwarded to the CDC Lead Poisoning Prevention and Environmental Health Tracking Branch. We hope you find their reply helpful.
We appreciate your comments. We are in the process of updating our program's website to include more information about the risk of lead exposure from aviation fuel. Please continue to check https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/default.htm regularly for updates.
Warm Regards,
Charles
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4 Dr. Charles L. Blum
[email protected]
1752 Ocean Park Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310‐392‐9795
www.drcharlesblum.com
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