Canadian Government to Ban Leaded Fuel in Racing

[Drache]

Sorry if this is a repost but has anyone else heard this?

The End of Canadian Drag Racing?

Racers, it seems the sky is truly falling. The Government of Canada is planning to implement a total and permanent ban on the use of leaded fuels for competition purposes, effective January 1st, 2009.
If this happens, Professional Drag Racing in Canada is over. Immediately, completely and forever. This isn't the same as the challenges we've faced in the past. This time, they're dropping the 'Big One'.

No Pro Mod, No Pro Stock, No Top Fuel or Nitro Funny Car and no American competitors in any of our sportsman classes. Only Alcohol Funny Cars would remain unscathed.
Although many Canadian sportsman competitors run their cars effectively on unleaded racing fuel or methanol, any of our competitors using leaded fuel have two choices. Change or quit.
The legislation arrived in our office last week. We took the time to read the document from start to finish to make sure we weren't overreacting. Then we talked to fuel suppliers, the IHRA and local politicians, including London's Bud Polhill; a long-time drag racing advocate in the Canadian fuel wars.

What makes this bill viciously unfair is, they indicate that there may be increased health risks associated with leaded fuels than previously thought, and are advocating this change without any actual testing or proof. The US, Britain and Australia must not put much faith in this new information as they have no changes planned in their Leaded fuel for competition vehicles policies at volumes 10 to 100 times the annual Cdn. volume. Also the passing of this bill does not eliminate leaded fuel, it only elimina tes our portion, which is 1.5% of the leaded fuel consumed in Canada (these are the Govt's own numbers right in the report – see Industry profile) the remaining 98.5% is used as aviation fuel and they have been given a permanent exemption. (which includes private pleasure planes, etc.) Bottom line, it's as bad as it seems. The Canadian Government are legislating Canada's largest racing facilities out of business. The document can be found on the Government of Canada website, under Canada Gazette Part 1, Dec. 22, 2007

[Ghoste]

I thought it had been this way for many years already now?

[0X01B8]

Reminds me of this article (long) on the history of lead in fuel --> http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=932

[Drache]

Here s the history from the Canadian Government Website: http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2007/20071222/html/regle1-e.html

Lead has historically been added to gasoline to prevent engine damage due to the auto-ignition of gasoline (or knocking). Over the past decades, awareness of the human and environmental health impacts of lead has motivated actions to reduce the emission of lead from many sources, including gasoline. When they came into force in 1990, the Gasoline Regulations (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") prohibited the production, import and sale of leaded gasoline, with exemptions provided for leaded gasoline used in aircraft, farm machinery, boats and trucks over 3 856 kg. The Regulations were amended in 1994 to add a two-and-a-half year exemption for leaded gasoline imported, produced or sold for use in competition vehicles.

The 1994 amendments were made in response to evidence of the adverse economic impacts of the Regulations on the activities of some race tracks and communities. In 1993, cancellation of a large racing event at a Quebec race track resulted in significant adverse economic impacts for the facility and local community. The amendments provided the industry with an exemption period to ease the transition to unleaded gasoline or other alternatives, taking into account claims by international race sanctioning bodies indicating that they would convert to unleaded gasoline within two to three years.

The competition vehicle exemption has been extended on three occasions since 1994: in 1997, 1998 and 2003. On all three occasions, there has been a consistent message from industry: a broad transition to non-leaded fuels had not occurred, and expiry of the exemption would have a significant, negative impact on the industry, related businesses and local communities.

In 2003, the exemption was extended until January 1, 2008, based on a revised lead exposure assessment showing that intake levels at and in the vicinity of race tracks were within the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) for lead. The exemption was limited to five years due to increases in leaded gasoline imports in preceding years, and ongoing concerns regarding lead toxicity.

Public policy issue

The existing exemption from certain provisions of the Regulations provided to competition vehicles expires on January 1, 2008. It is expected that this expiry would result in the cancellation of scheduled 2008 events featuring competition vehicles using leaded gasoline, with concomitant direct and indirect impacts on revenue and employment.

Since the last amendments to the Regulations in 2003 with respect to competition vehicles, new scientific evidence has become available that indicates a possibility of adverse health effects occurring at lower levels of lead exposure than previously thought acceptable, with children, toddlers and pregnant women being the most vulnerable to effects that may include cognitive and developmental deficits. As a result, the WHO PTWI levels used in past assessments may no longer be appropriate measures of tolerable exposure.

In addition, two administrative amendments have become necessary in order to account for the absence of any reported leaded gasoline use by farm machinery, boats and large trucks, and in order to respond to the need for updated lead and phosphorus test method references in the text of the Regulations.

[Ghoste]

Perhaps it's an Ontario thing in my case then?  I haven't purchased leaded fuel here since the early 90's but I haven't searched all that hard for it either.

[bull]

What a joke. How much leaded fuel is used up there compared to unleaded fuel? Less than 1%? It's just another feel-good law that amounts to a bunch of useless, counteractive BS and it will hurt more people than it helps.

[NMike]

but all you do is buy lead additive and race away. been like that for years. have you known ANYONE to get checked for lead in their fuel??

and how much lead does a 747 spew when flying from vancouver to toronto?

[Ghoste]

Probably not that much from a 747 since jet fuel is closer to kerosene than gasoline.    All those single prop Cessna's buzzing over your house on the other hand...

[Drache]

Why is lead needed?

I know that realy old heads such as my 906s that don't have hardened valve seats require an additive, but it's not lead based anymore. modern heads made somewhere in the 80s have hardened seats.

So... what's all the fuss.

Something about how the engines need the lead in the fuel to survive, I can't remember exactly, I've been out of racing too long. Alcohol and Methanol are the next step but two problems occur with this:

1. Amateurs are not allowed to use Alcohol or Methanol cars. They must be a certain age and must have a certain level of experience.
2. The cost of converting cars from leaded fuel to Alcohol or Methanol is astronomic and the government already said they weren't going to pay those fees.