Civil Municipal - Feb 2024

PROPOSED COLORADO BILL TARGETS GENERAL AVIATION Source- www.avweb.com, Mark Phelps, First published Feb 15, 2024 Four members of the Colorado General Assembly have cosponsored a bill that would, among other measures, mandate an “impact remediation fee” on leaded aviation fuel purchases, projected to be 50 cents per gallon. In addition, HB24-1235 (the Reduce Aviation Impacts on Communities bill) would require that the Colorado aeronautical board be increased to nine from seven members, giving priority to “individuals who are not trained pilots and who reside directly in the predominant flight path of a high-traffic general aviation airport or a commercial airport at which there is significant general aviation activity and in an area that has a population density of more than 3,000 individuals per square mile.” Sponsors of the bill include Senators Steve Fenberg (Senate President) and Rachel Zenzinger, and Representatives Kyle Brown and Shannon Bird. The stipulations related to leaded aviation fuel have been countered by the release of test results—commissioned by the town of Superior, Colorado,where residents have filed suit against Rocky Mountain Regional Airport in part over alleged lead contamination—that reveal no O p e n i n g L i n e s 7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 02