The document summarizes a panel discussion on lead emissions from the Hillsboro Airport in Oregon. It includes presentations from experts on lead exposure and health effects, results from air quality modeling and monitoring of lead levels near the airport, and perspectives from advocacy groups. Key points addressed include the health impacts of lead on children, the identification of lead paint as the primary source of lead exposure, results from monitoring one lead air quality monitor near the airport, and calls to reduce aircraft operations using leaded fuel to balance fuel replacement and community health.

1. CPO #9 Hillsboro Airport
Lead Forum
Hillsboro Airport Lead Emissions –
Facts and Solutions
November 12, 2013
Hillsboro Main Library

2. Lead Forum Panel
1. Henry Oberhelman,
5. Miki Barnes,
Hillsboro Airport
Roundtable Exchange
Oregon Aviation Watch
2. David Farrer
and David Dreher,
Oregon Health Authority
3. Dr. Justin Denny,
Washington County Health
and Human Services
4. Sara Armitage
and Anthony Barnack,
Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality
6. David Breen,
Port of Portland
7. Mary Rosenblum,
Oregon Pilots Association
8. Paul Koprowski,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

3. How much lead is in a typical
#2 pencil?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Trace amount
Mostly lead
Small amount
None
Answer: D
Source: Justin Denny, MD MPH
Deputy Health Officer
Washington County

4. How are children most commonly
exposed to lead?
A. By eating it
B. By breathing it
C. By drinking it
Answer: A
Source: Justin Denny, MD MPH
Deputy Health Officer
Washington County

5. What aircraft operating out of
Hillsboro Airport (HIO) are currently
using lead based fuel?
A. Private corporate jets
B. Fixed wing piston
engine airplanes and
helicopters
C. Oregon Air National
Guard aircraft
Answer: B

6. What amount of lead, in pounds per
year, is currently being emitted by aircraft
operating from the Hillsboro Airport (HIO)?
A.
B.
C.
D.
100-200 Lbs.
201-500 Lbs.
501-1,000 Lbs.
1001-1,500 Lbs.
Answer: D – approximately
1,400 lbs. in 2007
Source: 2009 Draft Environmental Assessment
on Hillsboro Airport third runway proposal –
emissions figures from 2007

7. How many Ore. Dept. of Environmental Quality
air quality monitors currently exist AND
measure lead in Washington Co./Hillsboro?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Zero (0)
One (1)
Five (5)
Ten (10)
Answer: B

8. CPO 9 Aviation Lead Emissions
Henry Oberhelman,
CPO 8 Representative, Hillsboro Airport Roundtable Exchange (H.A.R.E.)
A special thank you is due to CPO 9 and its Chair, Tom
Black, for preparing this panel discussion. It is unusual
to see in a community involvement venue the number
and qualifications of such a panel.
The lead used in the aviation fuel commonly called
avgas, is recognized by the EPA and the FAA as an
unacceptable source of environmental pollution and is
targeted for replacement.

9. Since the completion of the 2005 Hillsboro Airport
Master Plan the Port of Portland has been
sponsoring a Hillsboro Airport Roundtable Exchange
(HARE) to address conditions relevant to the airport.
The high concentration of local flight training using
avgas prompted HARE to work towards compiling a
fact-based summary for the following areas:
•
•
•
•
Leaded Fuel replacement schedule
Cost impacts to Leaded Fuel users
Health impacts on individuals
Lead emission modeling

10. Opportunities
• Refine the lead emission modeling to accurately
reflect actual aircraft operations and the lead
emission impact at the household level.
• Take the decision to reduce aviation operations
using leaded fuel balancing fuel replacement
schedule and health impacts.

11. Public Health Division
Healthy Homes Programs
David Farrer
David Dreher
11/12/2013

13. Children’s* Blood Lead
(2009-2010)
50th Percentile
General U.S. Population¶
(µg/dL)
1.15
75th Percentile
1.70
97.5th Percentile
5.00
*Ages 1-5 (i.e. <6 years)
¶National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals

14. Percent of Children’s Blood Lead Tests
Greater Than or Equal to 5 µg/dL
(Oregon Health Authority)
All of Oregon
2010
2.93%
Washington County
2.13%
U.S. General Population 2.5% of kids under 6
have BLL greater than or equal to 5 µg/dL
Children less than 6 years old at time of test.

17. Summary
•
•
•
•
No “safe” level of lead exposure
Reduce exposure wherever possible
“Zero” lead is not possible
Our data did not show an association between
distance from airport and blood lead, but our
data had too many limitations to rule out a
correlation
• Public health focuses resources on lead
sources that contribute the most lead to the
most kids (i.e. lead-based paint)

18. What you can do now
• Get your child screened to find out your child’s blood lead level
• Find out whether you have lead paint in your house
• If you have lead paint:
– Take appropriate precautions if you do renovations
– Make sure lead paint is in good condition and not chipping or peeling
• Go to www.healthoregon.org/lead to learn about more sources of
lead and how to avoid them
• Remove shoes before entering house
• clean dust with a wet rag regularly, especially window sills, door
jams, and any other friction points where paint may be scraped off
as dust
• Make sure kids wash hands often to avoid ingesting dust that may
be contaminated with lead
• Eat a healthy diet high in iron, calcium, and zinc

19. Lead
Justin Denny, MD MPH
Deputy Health officer
Washington County

20. How much lead is in a typical
#2 pencil?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Trace amount
Mostly lead
Small amount
None
Answer: D

21. How are children most commonly
exposed to lead?
a. By eating it
b. By breathing it
c. By drinking it
Answer: A

22. True or False?
• The level of concern of lead in a child was
> 60 μg/dL in the 1960s and is now > 5 μg/dL
• A. True
• B. False
Answer: True

23. Lead exposure
• Often occurs without any symptoms and can
go unrecognized.
• It is diagnosed by a blood test, screening in
children <5 (ideally between ages one and
two) who are considered at risk.
• The most important risk factors is living in or
spending a lot of time in a house built before
1978.

24. Symptoms of lead poisoning
• Children poisoned by lead and may not look or act sick.
• An estimated average of 6 IQ points may be lost due to lead
poisoning with BLLs in the range of 1–9.9 μg/dl.
• Lead effects on a child can be permanent and irreversible.
• Possible signs and symptoms of lead poisoning in children
and adults:
– Tiredness or loss of energy; hyperactivity; irritability or
crankiness; reduced attention span; poor appetite; weight loss;
trouble sleeping; constipation; aches or pains in stomach;
kidney and liver damage; hearing damage.

25. Elevated blood lead levels
• Can result in learning disabilities and behavioral
problems.
– Can also be prevented with early screenings and by
reducing or eliminating lead exposure
• In the last 5 years, 60,000 blood lead tests were
performed on children under the age of 6 in Oregon
(4%).
–
–
–
–
–
64% BLLs less than 2 μg/dl
35% were 2-10 μg/dl
91 tests in the 15-19 μg/dl range (0.15%)
79 in the 20-44 μg/dl range (0.13%)
7 in the 45-69 μg/dl range, and 1 > 70.
Public Health Action Level: Child (< 18 years: > 5 μg/dL, Adult (≥ 18 years) >25 μg/dL

26. Public Health Role
•
US CDC recommends public health action when child’s BLL > 10 mg/dL
– Elevated BBL in children must be reported to local public health
•
Public health interventions include:
–
–
–
–
investigating the likely source of the lead
testing others who may be at risk
providing resources about lead remediation
tracking follow-up testing of blood lead levels
•
From 2010-2012, # cases of elevated BLL reported to Washington County Public
Health in children (7 m – 9 y): 12
•
Parents should remember that lead exposure most commonly occurs in the home.
– cleaning up any paint chips or dust
– keeping places where children play clean and dust-free
– washing hands often and especially before eating.

27. Lead paint
• The most common cause of lead exposure
both nationally and in Oregon.
• Over the last decade, lead paint was the
identified source in approximately 60% of the
childhood lead cases in the state.

28. Key Messages
• There is no “safe” level of lead exposure.
• Almost all of the childhood blood lead levels in
Oregon over 5 µg/dL can be explained by
something other than aviation gas.
• Lead paint is the most common cause of lead
exposure both nationally and in Oregon and
prevention of lead poisoning will continue to
focus on young children at risk of lead ingestion.

29. Key things parents can do now to lower
risk of lead poisoning in their children
1) Have your child screened by his or her health
care provider
2) Ensure good nutrition, diet rich in iron
3) Teach good hand-washing
4) Minimize the amount of dirt and dust tracked
into your home
5) Repair any peeling paint, especially in older
homes

30. Hillsboro Lead Modeling and Monitoring
CPO 9 Meeting
November 12, 2013
Sarah Armitage
Anthony Barnack
30

31. Portland Air Toxics Solutions (PATS)
31

32. Portland Air Toxics Solutions Model
32

33. Summary of PATS Model Results
33

34. Location of DEQ air toxics monitor in Hillsboro
34

35. Monitoring for Gasses, Metals, Particulate
35

36. Five months of Hillsboro monitor lead data
36

37. Comparing monitored lead data in North
Portland and Hillsboro
37

38. EPA Airport Lead Monitoring
38

39. Contact Information
Sarah Armitage - DEQ Air Toxics
503-229-5186
Armitage.Sarah@deq.state.or.us
Anthony Barnack – DEQ Monitoring
503-693-5708
Barnack.Anthony@deq.state.or.us
Paul Koprowski – EPA Air Program Coordinator
503-326-6363
Koprowski.Paul@epa.gov
39

40. The mission of Oregon Aviation Watch is to enhance
and protect the quality of life for Oregon residents by
eliminating the adverse impacts of aviation activity.
OregonAviationWatch.org
PO Box 838
Banks, OR 97106
info@oregonaviationwatch.org
503-324-0291

41. Children
are particularly vulnerable to the effects of lead. “…once an
elevated blood lead concentration has been detected, it is too late to
prevent lead’s deleterious effects on the developing brain. This fact, plus
the very low blood lead levels established to negatively impact development
indicate that the only way to prevent childhood lead poisoning is to prevent
lead from ever getting into children’s bodies.”
Source: Lidsky, T I. and Schneider, JS. Lead Neurotoxicity in Children: Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Correlates. Guarantors of Brain (2003), 126, 5-19.
Estimates
indicate “that the U.S. incurs $43.4 billion annually in the costs
of all pediatric environmental disease, with childhood lead poisoning alone
accounting for the vast majority of it. This is a very high cost to our
society, which include medical costs, disability, education and parental lost
work time.”
Source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Case Studies in Environmental Medicine (CSEM) Lead Toxicity . (August 2010). Available online at
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/lead/docs/lead.pdf.
Oregon Aviation Watch
41

42. “Lead
that is emitted into the air can be inhaled or, after it settles out of the
air, can be ingested. Ingestion of lead that has settled onto surfaces is the main
way children are exposed to lead originally released into the air.”
Source: Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Lead Emissions from Piston-Engine Aircraft Using Leaded Aviation Gasoline: Regulatory Announcement. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA.). (April 2010) . Available online at http://www.epa.gov/nonroad/aviation/420f10013.htm.
The
symptoms of ADHD include extreme
hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattentiveness and distractibility. ADHD often cooccurs with conduct and oppositional defiant disorders. Background low-level
lead exposure, well below the 5 mcg/dL level of concern established by the CDC
in 2012, is associated with ADHD. “Blood lead levels from 1 to 10 ug/dL are
associated with lower child intelligence quotient (IQ), weaker executive cognitive
abilities, behavior symptoms of ADHD and diagnosis of ADHD in community
surveys.”
Source: Niggs, JT, Knottnerus, GM, Martel MM, Nikolas, M, Cavenaugh, K, Karmaus, W, Rappley, MD. Low Blood Lead Levels Associated with Clinically
Diagnosed Attention Deficit/Hyperactvity Disorder and Mediated by Weak Cognitive Control. Biological Psychiatry. V. 63 Issue 3. pgs. 325321. (2/1/08).
“Lead
is particularly dangerous to children because their growing bodies
absorb more lead than adults do and their brains and nervous systems are more
sensitive to the damaging effects of lead… In children, the main target for lead
toxicity is the nervous system. Even very low levels of lead in the blood of
children can result in:
 Permanent damage to the brain and nervous system, leading to behavior
and learning problems, lower IQ, and hearing problems
 Slowed growth, anemia,
 In rare cases, ingestion of lead can cause seizures, coma and even death
Source: Learn About Lead. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Available online at http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/learn-about-lead.html.
Oregon Aviation Watch
42

43. 

Medical research has identified a causal
relationship between lead and
hypertension, coronary heart disease, decreased
red blood cell survival, delayed puberty onset in
both males and females, and impaired male
reproductive function.
A likely causal connection was found between lead
and cancer, impaired female reproductive
function, birth outcomes (low birth
weight, spontaneous abortion), decreased
resistance to bacterial infections, declines in
cognitive function, and increases in depression and
anxiety.
Source: Integrated Science Assessment for Lead. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (June 2013). EPA/600/R-10/075F. Pg. lxxxiii to
lxxxvii.. Available online at http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/isa/recordisplay.cfm?deid=255721#Download.
Oregon Aviation Watch
43

44. After completing a study of airports in 6 North Carolina
Counties, Duke University researchers concluded that, "living within
1000 m [2/3 mile] of an airport where aviation gasoline is used may
have a significant effect on blood lead levels in children. Our results
further suggest that the impacts of aviation gasoline are highest
among those children living closest to the airport."
Source: Miranda, M.L., Anthopolos, R., Hastings D. A geospatial analysis of the effects of aviation gasoline on childhood blood lead levels .
Children’s Environmental Health Initiative, Nicholas School of the Environment. Duke University. (July 2011).
Oregon Aviation Watch
44

45. 

Due to serious health risks associated with lead, it was phased out of automotive fuel
between 1973 and 1996 and banned as a paint additive by 1978. Despite the dangers
associated with this toxic substance, the general aviation industry persists in using
leaded fuel.
More than half of lead emissions into the air nationwide in 2008 were from piston
engine aircraft.
Source: Integrated Science Assessment for Lead. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (June 2013). EPA/600/R-10/075F. Pg. lxxviii. Available online at
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/isa/recordisplay.cfm?deid=255721#Download

“There are approximately 167,000 aircraft in the United States and a total of 230,000
wordwide that rely on 100 low lead avgas for safe operation.”
Source Fact Sheet – Leaded Aviation Fuel and the Environment. Federal Aviation Administration. (6/19/13). Available at www.faa.gov.
Why does the U.S. have nearly 3 times as many lead emitting piston engine aircraft –
167,000 vs. 63,000 for the rest of the world combined? Clearly, other countries
throughout the world have managed without this glut of publicly finanaced general
aviation aircraft and airports.

“Lead concentrations in air increase with proximity to airports where piston-engine
aircraft operate.”
Source: Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Lead Emissions from Piston-Engine Aircraft Using Leaded Aviation Gasoline: Regulatory
Announcement. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA.). (April 2010) . Available online at http://www.epa.gov/nonroad/aviation/420f10013.htm.

At this point there is no date set by which the FAA and EPA can or will ban 100LL [leaded
aviation fuel].
Source: Leaded Fuel Use in General Aviation Aircraft. Port of Portland. Available online at http://www.portofportland.com/pdfpop/HAIR_LeadedFuel.pdf.
Oregon Aviation Watch
45

46. The
vast majority of the approximately 220,000 annual take-offs and landings
at HIO are piston engine training and recreational flights, many of which circle
repetitively over nearby residential communities, schools, day care centers, and
parks at altitudes below 2,000 feet. Additional practice flights train over prime
farmland, waterways, and surrounding communities. Port of Portland estimates
indicate that HIO alone is responsible for emitting 0.7 tpy, 1400 pounds.
HIO landing and take-off cycle lead emissions are expected to increase to 0.8
(tpy), 1600 lbs. by 2016 and 0.9 (tpy), 1800 lbs. by 2021.
Source: Hillsboro Airport Parallel Runway 12L/30R Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment. Prepared for Port of Portland.
(3/15/13).
HIO
is surrounded on three sides by residential communities and on the fourth
side by farmland. The blood lead levels of the children impacted by this airport
have not been obtained or analyzed. Hillsboro’s 35 public schools serve over
20,600 students.
Source: Hillsboro School District website at http//www.hsd.k12.or.us/AboutHSD/PublicDataPortal/FactsandFigures.aspx
Oregon Aviation Watch
46

47. 
Hillsboro Airport (HIO) emits more lead than any other airport in the
state. It is in the top one percent and ranks 21st out of nearly 20,000
U.S. airports nationwide in lead emissions.
Source: EPA Memorandum from Hoyer M . and Pedde , to the Lead NAAQS Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2006-0735. 11/18/10.

Piston-engine general aviation aircraft use lead based fuel whereas
commercial jets do not. The majority of the training and recreational
operations flying in and out of HIO require leaded fuel.
Source: Lead Impacts from the Use of Leaded Aviation Gasoline in the United States . Environmental Protection Agency: Technical Support
Document (EPA420-R-08-020),. (October 2008).

2007 HIO Annual Operations (take-offs and landings) – 224,461
•
•
•
•
Corporate Jets - 7,008
Air Taxi/Commuter 6,860
Military - 300
Flight Training & Hobbyist
- 210,293
Source: FAA APO Terminal Area Forecast Detail Report, (Dec. 2010)
Oregon Aviation Watch
47

48. Port of Portland Airport Lead Estimates 2005 (tpy)
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Total = 1.06 tpy
Hillsboro
Airport
Troutdale
Airport
0.681
0.189
PortlandMulino
Airport
0.101
Portland
International
0.089
Data included in this graph was obtained from a DEQ public records request.
Oregon Aviation Watch
48

49. 0.7
Total = 1.826 tpy
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
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Oregon Aviation Watch
49

50. The Oregon Department of Environmental (ODEQ) quality map,
above, was developed for the Portland Air Toxins Solutions Project.
The areas in the pink to red shades denoted above benchmark lead
levels in the vicinity of the Hillsboro Airport. DEQ’s decision to
withdraw this map was based on a 2010 non-peer-reviewed Port of
Portland commissioned CDM study. No authors affixed their
individual names to the CDM report nor was their any indication of
EPA involvement or community participation. Though DEQ accepted
the Port study it admitted that, “DEQ has not conducted an analysis
to compare the study to its Portland Air Toxics Solutions model.”
This map was created, for
illustrative purposes only, by
Oregon Aviation Watch to show the
Hillsboro Airport landing and takeoff cycle lead impacts based on the
adjacent map.
Source: Portland Air Toxins Solutions Project Modeled Lead Data and the Hillsboro Airport . Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality. Last updated 1/20/12 .
Oregon Aviation Watch
50

51. Hillsboro Airport
Leaded Avgas
Overview
November 12, 2013
David Breen
Air Quality Program Manager

52. Topics
• Information about high octane leaded fuel use
• Understanding Impacts to the air shed
– HIO Emissions Inventories / Dispersion Modeling
• Finding a safe, high octane substitute for leaded avgas
– Federal
– Local

53. Types of Fuel used at HIO
Two types of Fuel
Jet fuel (Jet A) used in either compression ignition engines or
turbine engines.
 Examples: Jet aircraft, turbine engine helicopters
Avgas (aviation gasoline) is an aviation fuel used to power
spark-ignited piston-engine aircraft.
 Examples: Smaller propeller driven aircraft and propeller
driven helicopters.

54. Air Quality Context
Criteria Pollutants
Federal Air Quality Standards
Air Toxics
Federal Engine
Emission
Standards, etc.
Oregon Ambient
Benchmark
Concentrations
(52)
54

55. Federal Actions to replace leaded Avgas
1) Established Performance metric: “ A replacement fuel for
leaded aviation gasoline is available by 2018 that is usable
by most aircraft
2) Unleaded Avgas Transition (UAT) Plan is FAA’s mitigation
strategy to find a replacement for leaded fuels.
3) Established unleaded aviation gasoline R&D program
4) Aircraft / Engine unleaded fuel certificates

56. Short-term local actions
Hillsboro Airport Roundtable Exchange
- Lead Working Group
- Consider; logistics, fuel supply, etc.
- Recommendations

57. Summary
Air quality
• Portland-Vancouver airshed is in compliance with Federal
standards
Actions to replace leaded Avgas
• Federal – just over 4 years
• Local – HARE working to identify interim actions at HIO

58. Getting The Lead Out
Mary Rosenblum, President, Oregon Pilots Association

59. GA Options
New 100 UL Fuels
Mogas Power