California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law a ban on leaded aviation gasoline that comes into effect in 2031. That’s the day after the FAA has said it will have a fully approved replacement fuel for 100LL through its End Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) program. Newsom signed the bill, which passed by votes of 59-11 in the House and 30-8 in the Senate in August, on Sept. 22. It’s the first such law in the U.S., but several other states are contemplating similar action.
The original bill, introduced by Democratic State Sen. Caroline Menjivar in February, would have started the phase-out of leaded avgas starting in 2026, but a significant lobbying effort by aviation industry groups won amendments that made the bill conform to the FAA’s 2030 timeline. But if the FAA misses that deadline, the bill, as passed, will still ban leaded avgas the next day. It will “ban airport operators and any public or private entity that offer aviation gasoline from selling or distributing leaded fuel starting in 2031.”
