PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – Residents and some local officials called on Broward County Friday to study lead emissions at North Perry airport sooner, rather than later.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that South Florida’s North Perry Airport ranks fifth in the country for lead emissions and now, the City of Pembroke Pines and its residents want the county to find out exactly what they’re dealing with.
The EPA says the amount of lead emitted by small planes powered by piston engines, not jets, merits a public health endangerment finding. The extent to which it affects the people who breathe it in is currently unknown.
On Friday, Local 10 News spoke with Broward County resident George Koren, who has lived in Pembroke Pines for 50 years.
He says he hears planes taking off and landing constantly and is concerned about the lead exposure.
“We’re sitting here in a toxic cocktail,” said Koren. “The residents here, myself included, for a long time have been asking about the air.”
While lead is no longer used in fuel for our cars, it is still primarily used in aircraft, including many of those at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines.
This week, the City of Pembroke Pines passed a resolution from Commissioner Tom Good asking the Broward Couty Aviation Department to begin testing the air quality surrounding the airport.
“What we’re concerned about is understanding what are we dealing with,” said Good. “We have a need for real testing so that we can get real information so that people can make real decisions.”
“What really brought this to a more even elevated level is that the EPA has what they call a national emissions inventory and it’s a database. It collects information about all of these airports and the lead emissions that are being emitted from these aircraft,” he added.
The recent vote came as a relief to Koren, but other residents say they aren’t really sure it’s necessary.
A man who asked only to go by Vinny, told Local 10 News that he just had a blood test for lead exposure and despite living near the airport for more than 40 years, the test came back showing he had completely safe numbers and wasn’t at risk.
“If people are really concerned about it, they can get a blood test like I am,” said Vinny. “Now, if you do testing in the air, you still don’t know what’s in your system or what you think may be in your system. I don’t see a perceived issue with it.”
The Broward County Aviation Department told Local 10 News they continue to operate North Perry Airport in a safe and efficient manner and released the following statement which you can read below.
The Federal Aviation Administration told Local 10 News that they have a plan in place to transition all aircraft to lead-free fuel by 2023 and some of that fuel is already used at North Perry Airport.