Executive Orders have significant impact on environmental justice and lead
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a notice updating the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant assurances, making several important changes that airport-affected communities should know about. These new rules take immediate effect for Fiscal Year 2025 AIP grants, but the FAA is accepting public comment until May 9, 2025.
While many of the updates are technical, several have major implications for airport communities — including rollbacks on environmental justice commitments, new protections for leaded aviation fuel, and changes to federal anti-discrimination standards.
Key Changes Affecting Airport Communities
Removal of Environmental Justice and Climate Directives
The FAA has eliminated references to several executive orders that previously supported environmental and climate protections:
- Executive Order 12898 (Environmental Justice): Directed agencies to address disproportionate environmental impacts on minority and low-income communities.
- Executive Order 14008 (Tackling the Climate Crisis): Committed agencies to integrating climate change considerations into decision-making.
By removing these references, the FAA signals a retreat from incorporating environmental justice and climate considerations into airport grant projects.
New Mandate to Protect Leaded Aviation Fuel Access
The FAA added a new Grant Assurance 40 requiring airports that sold 100-octane low lead aviation gasoline (100LL) during 2022 to continue offering it until:
- A federally approved unleaded replacement becomes widely available, or
- December 31, 2030, whichever comes first.
This move delays efforts to transition general aviation away from leaded fuels, despite decades of known public health risks — particularly for communities located near airports with piston-engine aircraft traffic. Violations of this new assurance could result in civil penalties.
To be clear: the amount of leaded fuel used at Sea-Tac is extremely low. However, this is bad news for residents near every other general aviation airport and King County International Airport (Boeing Field).
Rollback of DEI and Civil Rights Requirements
Several diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) executive orders have been removed from grant assurances:
- Executive Order 13985 (Advancing Racial Equity)
- Executive Order 13988 (Preventing Discrimination on Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation)
In their place, the FAA is now aligning with Executive Order 14151 (Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing), shifting the focus toward “merit-based opportunity” and away from explicit anti-discrimination initiatives tied to race, gender, and other identities.
This change could further complicate community efforts to ensure equitable treatment in airport development and noise mitigation projects.
Why This Matters
Airport improvement grants are a major driver of airport expansion and modernization projects such as the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). Changes in grant conditions can either strengthen — or weaken — the ability of communities to advocate for environmental protections, public health, and equitable treatment in the face of airport-related growth.
STNI will be submitting comments and encourages residents concerned about noise, air quality, or environmental justice to do the same.
Comment Period Open Until May 9
The public may submit comments using the following methods:
- Online at www.regulations.gov, referencing Docket No. FAA–2025–0605
- By mail or hand delivery to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590
- By fax to 202–493–2251
More details on the updated AIP grant assurances can be found at:
https://www.faa.gov/airports/aip/grant_assurances