Movement to Reevaluate Gillespie Field Gains Support

April 8, 2022

Gillespie Field, one of 8 airports owned by San Diego County, is known for its history of serious aviation accidents as well as noise and pollution.

Among 20,000 airports nationwide, it ranks 13th in lead emissions. As noted in the article cited below, "Numerous research studies have shown that children who live near small airports in which the aircraft use leaded fuel (as opposed to kerosene-based fuel used by jet aircraft at large airports) have particularly high levels of lead in their blood, and no level of lead is safe for children. Lead exposure has been definitively linked to neurological and development problems in children."

Environmental Protection Agency National Emissions Inventory data reveals that Gillespie Field emits substantially more lead annually (1145 lbs) than Reid-Hillview Airport (RHV) in San Jose (746 lbs). A 2021 lead study commissioned by Santa Clara County found that children living in proximity to RHV had blood lead levels equal to or greater than those detected in children during the Flint water crisis.

Congressional Candidate Comments on Adverse Impacts of Gillespie Field

The 4/1/22 edition of the OB [Ocean Beach] Rag included a story about a U.S. congressional candidate expressing concerns about this airport, Stephen Houlahan - Vying for 48th District - On Problems with Gillespie Field. The discussion in response to the article is also worth reading. The opening paragraphs of the article appear below.

"During a recent townhall meeting, Stephen Houlahan, candidate for CA's 48th Congressional District, discussed the ways Gillespie Field airport negatively impacts adjacent Santee and El Cajon residents. He cited crashes and noise and air pollution, and said, given all the development that has taken place in these East San Diego County cities over the years, the region may not be the right place for an airport anymore.

Houlahan has long voiced apprehensions about planes crashing into the airport's nearby neighborhoods, and unfortunately, recent events prove his fears have merit.

On December 27, 2021, a Learjet 35A crashed and exploded in the unincorporated Bostonia neighborhood near El Cajon, killing its four members, damaging a resident's yard, and causing power outages for more than 3,600 SDG&E customers throughout the El Cajon area. A preliminary report issued in January by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed "the airplane struck a set of power lines and impacted the yard of a residential home" while attempting its descent onto Runway 27R of Gillespie Field.

Two months earlier, on October 11, 2021, a Cessna C340 crashed onto a residential street in Santee. The plane hit a man driving a UPS truck, who died, as did the pilot. Two residents were sent to the hospital, two houses were destroyed, multiple cars caught fire, and the plane crashed dangerously close to Santana High School. The pilot had been intending to land at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in Kearny Mesa, but given the low altitude at which he was flying, it is conjectured that mechanical failure may have forced him to attempt an emergency landing at Gillespie Field. The NTSB final report has not yet been issued."

To read the article in its entirety click here.

Citizens Against Gillespie Expansion and Low Flying Aircraft (CAGE-LFA)

The author identified Citizens Against Gillespie Expansion (CAGE), founded by Robert Germann, as a group that formed to oppose further growth at this airport. Gary Keller, a strong advocate for removing lead from leaded aviation fuel, serves as the Environmental Director. CAGE is a signatory on the petition urging the EPA to issue an endangerment finding on leaded aviation fuel (avgas). For additional information visit the CAGE Facebook site.

The following 3/17/2022 CAGE comment was posted in response to the EPA Draft Lead Strategy.

"In light of the disaster that has befallen the children who live near Reid-Hillview airport in San Jose, California, the spotlight has turned brightly upon those organizations whom we trust to warn people about lead poisoning in our communities. Of all the health departments in the United States of America, how many even recognize the existence of lead emissions from piston general aviation aircraft - much less do anything to curtail or warn people of this problem? One million pounds rained on us each year is beyond comprehension. All health organizations whose job it is to protect us have moved beyond being remissful and into the arena of culpability. When 70% of all NEW lead emissions is from these planes and this is not a NEW problem, where does one turn for help? Regardless how much the use of lead has gone down due to the ending of lead additives to gasoline, the graph that depicts that drawing, when shown to the children who live around these 20,000 airports in the US will not lower their blood lead levels. Nothing short of banning this leaded AvGas will."

Leaded Aviation Fuel Soil and Water Pollution

The founder of CAGE, Robert Germann, also submitted comments to the EPA Draft Lead Strategy docket. In a 3/17/2022 posting he stated "Gillespie Field is negligent in how they handle AV/GAS...The fuel storage tanks whether above ground or underground have no vapor recovery system consequently these tanks vent straight into the atmosphere. The underground fuel tanks which are decades old leak leaded fuel into our watershed." He further explains, "Every time an aircraft is fueled the pilot takes a fuel sample manually per FAA regulation...The majority of the time this 1/2-ounce sample is thrown on the ground or into the air...The leaded fuel sample that is disposed of on the ground then is washed into our storm water system when it rains."

A second comment to the EPA Draft Lead Strategy by Robert Germann posted on 3/17/22 provides additional information on this topic. Per the study submitted to the docket, "Over the years from 1989 to 2000, a total of over 32 MILLION GALLONS of lead laced gasoline has been deliberately, and irresponsibly poured onto the ground by the single act of private pilots sampling fuel during preflight inspections. In the decade preceding 1989 an estimated 23 MILLION GALLONS were poured out. Roughly, 55 MILLION GALLONS have polluted airport soils and waste water resources over the past 21 years."

Innospec Sole Producer of Leaded Fuel

A comment posted on March 22, 2022 to the EPA Draft Lead Strategy by CAGE Environmental Director Gary Keller asks, "How can it be possible for one company and only one company, Innospec Inc., to be allowed to manufacture 1 million pounds of Tetra-Ethyl Lead each year in another country (England) and ship it to US refineries to be added to general aviation AvGas? How can it be legal for that leaded fuel to be used in 20,000 airports in the US and poison our children with leaded emissions? Parents have the responsibility to protect their children. How do we protect our children from Innospec Inc.?"

A 10/25/2021 Oregon Aviation Watch (OAW) posting, Who is Innospec? by Gary Keller, sheds additional light on this issue.