ABC News Report: Chair of Town of Middleton in Wisconsin Urges Immediate Action to Eliminate Leaded Aviation Fuel Emissions
The Town of Middleton in Dane County Wisconsin is one of a number of municipalities that are urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue an endangerment finding for leaded aviation fuel. A March 21, 2022 letter to EPA Administrator, Michael Regan, elaborates on the these concerns.
The airport discussed in the article, Middleton Municipal, also know as Morey Field, is a general aviation airport that logs around 41,000 operations per year. Federal Aviation Administration Terminal Air Traffic data reveals that well over half are low altitude training flights that fly repetitively over the area. The airport also provides aircraft rentals and charter services. Private pilots, business jets and for-profit aviation companies are the primary beneficiaries of this airport.
On August 25, 2022, Cynthia Richson, the Chair of the Town of Middleton was interviewed by a local ABC news station WKOW, Channel 27. An excerpt from the report follows.
MIDDLETON (WKOW) -- The board chair for the Town of Middleton is sounding the alarm on what she says is an environmental danger near the Middleton Municipal Airport. She says lead emissions from planes are polluting the air near Morey Field, posing potential long-term health risks to people nearby.
Board Chair Cynthia Richson has been lobbying local health officials to act on the matter and ban the use of lead fuel at the airport. Lead exposure has been proven by the CDC to cause serious health defects in dangerous amounts, especially in children.
"There's no safe level of lead exposure," Richson said. "And airborne lead is the worst."
To prove her point, Richson enlisted the help of Trinity Consultants, a consulting firm that studies air quality standards for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In the study, researchers found that 96% of all lead emissions in Dane County came from local airports, the biggest source of emissions is Dane County Regional Airport (DCRA). Middleton's Morey Field made up the second largest amount, at 32% of total emissions.
However, Richson says the difference is that DCRA has a buffer zone with low population, while Middleton's airport is centralized near several schools and neighborhoods.
"They're breathing airborne lead every day that they're living there," Richson said. "They're outside, walking, recreating, and they should be aware of the danger, especially for children."
To access video and text of this report click here.
Additional information on the Earthjustice endangerment finding petition is available at:
| © Oregon Aviation Watch | Contact Us |  Jump to Top |