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SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 21
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION
BY THE SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
Introduced: 5/9/24
Referred: Transportation
A RESOLUTION
1 Urging federal support for the state's aviation fuel transition.
2 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
3 WHEREAS residents of the state rely heavily on air travel because of the vast
4 expanses of the state, with over 200 communities, constituting 82 percent of the total
5 communities in the state, lacking road connectivity; and
6 WHEREAS the state, encompassing one-fifth of the land mass of the continental
7 United States, has a geographically dispersed population heavily reliant on piston-driven
8 aircraft; and
9 WHEREAS the proposed transition away from standard leaded aviation fuel by 2030
10 would pose insurmountable challenges to the state's aviation sector, leading to severe and
11 unreasonable consequences; and
12 WHEREAS any legislation curtailing access to the sole approved fuel for the state's
13 piston-driven aircraft, both commercial and private, would disproportionately affect already
14 disadvantaged communities across the state, particularly those disconnected from the road
15 system, as well as the broader general aviation sector; and
16 WHEREAS the absence of a viable substitute fuel that is readily available and
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1 affordable would result in immediate and devastating consequences for the state, particularly
2 affecting rural communities; and
3 WHEREAS a truncated timeline for replacing parts or engines to accommodate a new
4 fuel type would lead to the collapse of the piston-driven aviation fleet because of exorbitant
5 costs, limited availability of equipment, and insufficient time for adaptation; and
6 WHEREAS a 2030 mandate would endanger residents of remote communities of the
7 state that are accessible solely by air by restricting access to food, fuel, emergency medical
8 care, education, and other essential needs;
9 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the federal government to
10 collaborate with the Alaska Congressional delegation to incorporate into the Federal Aviation
11 Administration Reauthorization Act language extending the state's leaded fuel exemption to
12 2034 to provide crucial time and support for a smooth transition that would ensure the safety
13 and wellbeing of all residents of the state.
14 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the
15 Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Mary Peltola, U.S. Representative,
16 members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.
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