FAA grants Santa Clara County more time to propose corrective action plan

The FAA has allowed Santa Clara County an additional 90-day extension on submitting a corrective action plan (CAP) to remove the ban on 100LL fuel. In 2022, the county banned the acquisition, storage and sale of 100LL fuel at the Reid-Hillview Airport (RHV) and the San Martin Airport (E16). Any fuel tanks that previously held 100LL were re-purposed for G100UL unleaded avgas. On Oct. 14, 2022, the AOPA filed a complaint stating that the county violated grant assurances by denying reasonable access to RHV and E16 by prohibiting the sale and use of 100LL fuel and denying aircraft owners the right to self-fuel their aircraft with leaded fuel at the airports. In its reply, the AOPA claimed the county's actions decimated fuel sales at RHV and E16. On March 22, 2025, the FAA ruled the county had violated Grant Assurance 22(a), Grant Assurance 22(f) and Grant Assurance 24. It ordered the county to present a CAP that included the removal of the ban within 30 days. The county submitted in April, along with an appeal of the determination and a 90-day extension request. It then sent a revised CAP in July, according to the AOPA. The FAA did not respond or request clarification until October, at which point the county requested an additional 90-day extension. The AOPA stated that the county was avoiding meeting its obligation with repeated delays. RELATED STORIES: FAA rules California county's 100LL ban violates grant assurances California airport that banned leaded avgas now among first to sell GAMI G100UL Santa Clara County bans 100LL fuel, citing elevated lead levels in local kids Judge: GAMI G100UL not universal enough to replace avgas in CaliforniaFAA warns airports against selling only unleaded aircraft fuel The FAA granted the county's request for extension on October 30. During the delay, the ban on 100LL has remained in place. "Despite AOPA requests to the county and FAA, complainants were not provided with a copy of the proposed corrective action plan; however, neither the FAA nor the county is obligated to provide it," said the AOPA."It is AOPA's opinion that the repealing and reversing of the actions that banned the availability of 100LL at the airports should not take this much time to negotiate."