Black Soot Issue Floats To Surface

06 Jun Black Soot Issue Floats To Surface

As recently as the April 13 Homeowners Presentation public meeting at the Venice Community Center, allegations persist that a black, sooty substance is being generated and deposited throughout Venice by turbine aircraft operating out of the Venice Municipal Airport. In spite of some rather heated claims and “laboratory analysis,” no findings have identified the composition or origin of the substance. Some have yet to even observe the phenomenon.

At the meeting, one attendee in particular framed the question on wanting to know if the airport administrator was “aware that black soot was being generated by the airport,” claiming he had just received lab test results confirming it was “jet fuel residue” and found deposited nearby the airport as well as over seven miles away. When asked to share a copy of the lab findings, he refused.

Over the years, as these claims are discussed and renewed, a variety of possible explanations are considered, including ash from any of the thousands of controlled burns conducted each year, mold and pollen. Since none of them include aviation fuels as the source, they are quickly dismissed as implausible. The statistical fact that Venice averages less than two jet operations per day falls on deaf ears. But based on the veracity of the soot reports, Mosquito Control would envy such prolific coverage.

Still, theories persist with no evidence to support it. The following story out of Naples echoes the same sentiments of skepticism. Until a credible analysis, conducted by scientific methodology is conducted, everything will remain conjecture.