Long Beach is now one of a handful of cities in the nation to encourage the purchase of unleaded aviation fuel, after the City Council approved a $200,000 subsidy program Tuesday night.
Although the Long Beach Airport has offered unleaded aviation fuel since August 2023, the price per gallon can be from $2 to $4 higher than leaded fuel. With the subsidy program, aviation fuel providers can now sell unleaded fuel at the same price as leaded fuel.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Long Beach Airport produces the second-highest lead pollution among airports across the nation.
The City estimates that the $200,000 program will last through mid-2025, when they will see if they can extend the program with the 2025 budget.
Over 700 Long Beach residents have formed the Small Aircraft Noise Reduction group urging the City Council to limit the amount of small planes flying over the city. The group has pointed out noise nuisances and the negative health effects of leaded fuel for residents living under the flight path.
At a December City Council meeting, City staff explained that Long Beach is subject to the guidelines of the Federal Aviation Administration, meaning they would have to appeal to the federal group to make any changes to the city’s noise ordinance.
“If you want to be a good partner, a good neighbor and a good operator in Long Beach, switch to unleaded fuel now. There’s no excuse.”
Mayor Rex Richardson
Since no city has successfully done this without losing all power of its noise ordinance, Long Beach City Council said they will instead try to incentivize local small aircraft pilots to act as “good neighbors” through voluntary solutions.
The unleaded fuel subsidy program is the first result of that plan.
“If you want to be a good partner, a good neighbor and a good operator in Long Beach, switch to unleaded fuel now. There’s no excuse,” said Mayor Rex Richardson.
On Oct. 18, the Environmental Protection Agency released a statement saying that the use of leaded gas by aircraft can cause or contribute to air pollution, and “reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health and welfare under the Clean Air Act.”
The Federal Aviation Administration has set a target for the elimination of leaded aviation fuel for all piston-powered aircraft by the year 2030.
“We will continue to ask them [small aircraft pilots] to do the right thing for the community they operate in,” said Councilmember Megan Kerr.
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Are you seriously telling me that people that can afford to buy an airplane can’t afford to pay $2 a gallon more for fuel? Why not instead RAISE the price of LEADED gasoline, it’s the one causing the problems (cancer, mental illness, ADHD)