Most of the aircraft at the Maryland Airport use Avgas (aviation gasoline)
I drove by the Maryland Airport A short distance north of the airport is the Matthew Henson Middle and the JC Parks Elementary School. Based on numerous studies, Lead from avgas remains the country's largest unregulated source of lead emissions and disproportionately impacts environmental justice communities. How can anyone not be concerned about the thousands of students subjected to lead poisoning from the aircraft that take off and land at the Maryland Airport for many years?
Congress is working on its 5-year reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Despite progress being made at the federal, state, and local levels to stop the use of leaded avgas, a provision included in the FAA reauthorization bill would make it harder or near impossible for airports to transition away from leaded avgas. This provision would require that airports receiving federal Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding (nearly all airports) must continue to provide leaded avgas, locking them and their surrounding communities into more lead emissions. Lead from avgas remains the country's largest unregulated source of lead emissions and disproportionately impacts environmental justice communities. - Anna Sewell Earthjustice
Avgas (aviation gasoline) is used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. It is the most commonly used fuel for piston engines. In aviation, Avgas is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles, termed mogas (motor gasoline).
Avgas is the only transportation fuel in the United States to contain lead. It is used to power traditional propeller aircraft. Typically, these are smaller aircraft, such as those at flight school, clubs or sports, and aerobatic aircraft. This does not include turboprop aircraft, whose propellers are powered by a turbine engine using Jet A1 fuel.
Avgas is a gasoline containing tetra-ethyl lead (TEL), which gives it a high octane number. This allows the fuel to be used in engines with higher compression. The sweet smell of 100LL AvGas is largely due—if not entirely—to the additive Tetraethyllead (TEL). TEL is included in the formulation of 100LL as an anti-detonation additive, octane booster, and lubricant.
Some airports have banned the sale of all leaded fuel since January 1, 2022. The industry supports a smart transition toward a 100UL solution that will work for the entire general aviation fleet.
Maryland Airport Is Located 2 Miles From Where Indian Head Highway (210) Crosses The Border Into Charles County. The Maryland airport is in Charles County, a few miles from Accokeek. The airport runway runs north and south. The North end of the runway points toward Piscataway Park and Moyaone, some of the aircraft will turn east and fly through Prince George's County, and some will turn west and fly over Charles County. Accokeek (CDP) and Bryans Road (CDP) are the most impacted areas. I have read FAA documents that state 72,000 airplanes fly through Accokeek en route to DCA. The last thing we need is more aircraft, including corporate jets, from the proposed expansion of the Maryland Airport.
Maryland Airport is located 2 miles from where Indian Head Highway (210) crosses the border into Charles County. There are plans to expand the runway to 4,300 feet and to double the number of aircraft flights from 17,00 to 32,700. The small aircraft that use leaded gas that flies over our community are from Maryland Airport. Southern Maryland gets most of the low-flying Air Traffic from Reagan DCA airport. We don’t need another source of aircraft noise and pollution. - Southern Maryland, Fair Skies Coalition
“Maryland Airport is a privately owned and operated general aviation airport in western Charles County that is open to the public, serving the Washington DC metro area. The airport is home to 46 based aircraft, including the helicopter with MedSTAR Rapid Transportation, and hosts an average of 47 aircraft operations a day. The airport is 20 miles south of Washington, DC.
Maryland Airport is a privately owned and operated general aviation airport in western Charles County that is open to the public, serving the Washington DC metro area. The airport is home to 46 based aircraft, including the helicopter with MedSTAR Rapid Transportation, and hosts an average of 47 aircraft operations a day. The airport is 20 miles south of Washington, DC, and is the closest reliever airport to Reagan National Airport, which is outside of DC’s no-fly zone.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the airport in the 1990s as a General Aviation Reliever Airport, and given its reliever status, the airport became eligible for federal funding for improvements to enhance user safety and expand capacity. Following this Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designation, the FAA committed approximately $20 million to the airport, and an Airport Master Plan was developed.
The initial phase of airport expansion and improvements, consisting of a new 3,740-foot runway, runway lights, and expanded taxiway, was constructed in 2013 after the approval of the Airport Master Plan in 1999. The Master Plan ultimately calls for a 4,300-foot runway.
The airport was purchased in early 2019 by PSM Holdings with the expressed intention of completing the planned runway extension and making other significant improvements to airport infrastructure. Approximately 600 acres of land surrounding the airport are currently the subject of rezoning from the Watershed Conservation District to commercial zoning.”
