Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport adds unleaded fuel tank as it transitions away from leaded aviation fuel
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport now has a dedicated tank for unleaded aviation fuel, marking the first major milestone in its accelerated plan to phase out leaded fuel announced in 2023.
On Tuesday, piston engine aircraft -- the type that typically use leaded aviation gasoline -- were filled with unleaded fuel now available on site.
"It's not a one-day thing. It's a phased transition over multiple months," Airport Director Erick Dahl said.
Dahl was among a group of state and local leaders who gathered for the announcement.
"We did hear there was interest in us having unleaded fuel, and we are responsive to what we were hearing," he added.
Residents who live directly under the airport's flight path have raised health concerns for years. Several even had their homes tested.
"Our house tested positive -- one of the highest," a homeowner told CBS Colorado in 2023.
That same year, the airport announced its accelerated transition plan. Then Airport Director Paul Anslow said a 12,000 gallon tank would be operational by fall 2024. The tank was delivered last month.
"There were some hiccups, but some progress is better than no progress," Jefferson County Commissioner Rachel Zenzinger said.
Zenzinger, a former state lawmaker and now a county commissioner in Jefferson County where the airport is located, sponsored legislation to help fund the move to unleaded fuel.
"We created a grant program that would allow airports such as RMMA to apply so they could make the transition to unleaded fuel a reality a little bit quicker," she said.
While the fuel is now available, its use is not mandatory. So far, two flight schools have committed to using it. Danny Smith, owner of Western Air Flight Academy, is among them.
"Having access to unleaded fuel demonstrates that the industry is ready, adaptable and moving forward responsibly," Miller said.
The FAA has set a 2030 deadline for all airports to transition away from leaded aviation fuel. Until then, leaded fuel must still be made available.
