NMMA urging boaters, anglers to help shoot down ethanol increase proposal

By MATT WILLIAMS

 

Special to The Eagle

The National Marine Manufacturers Association says increasing the amount of ethanol in gasoline by five percent could spell disaster for boat owners across the nation, because current engine models are not designed to run on fuels containing more than 10 percent ethanol (E10).

The National Marine Manufacturers Association is summoning anglers and boaters across America to the front lines.

Help is needed in a fight to deter a political bombshell that many feel could threaten the environment, deal a damaging blow to the marine industry and potentially cost boat owners thousands of dollars in damage to boat engines.

Ethanol manufacturers want to increase the allowable amounts of ethanol in standard pump gasoline by five percent, and they are making a concerted effort to get it done.

On March 6, Growth Energy and 54 ethanol manufacturers made a formal request to the Environmental Protection Agency to increase the allowable ethanol content of gasoline to 15 percent. The current legal amount of ethanol that may be blended with gasoline for use in conventional vehicles and boat motors is 10 percent (E10).

Ethanol is grain alcohol made from corn. It is being used as an additive in unleaded gasoline to substitute for MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether), an oxygenating agent recently banned in many states because it is a potential carcinogen.

The NMMA is adamantly opposed to increasing ethanol in ethanol blended fuels for several reasons, acccording to Mat Dunn, legislative director for the NMMA.

"We are supportive of E85 for use in flex vehicles, but we believe midlevel ethanol blends like E15 are not going to work well," Dunn said. "There are a huge number of legacy vehicles and products -- including 18 million boats and engines -- that are currently in the field. None of the current marine engines and fuel systems have been designed, calibrated or certified to run on anything above E10."

Additionally, Dunn said increasing the ethanol content in gasoline by five percent would likely bring marine engines and a host of other products such as cars, lawnmowers and chainsaws out of compliance with federal clean air emissions laws.

He also thinks it would cause boaters more headaches than have already been experienced since the berth of E10 several years ago.

"Five percent is a significant amount," Dunn said. "Given our experience with E10 thus far, I think we also would see an increase in performance problems with products that are already in the field if the ethanol blend levels are increased."

That's a nice way of putting it.

In a nutshell, E15 fuel would be like a cancer that could eat away at the guts of a modern boat engine and eventually cause serious problems that may not be worth repairing.

All of the major outboard manufacturers advise against using fuels containing more than 10 percent ethanol in their engines. Doing so can lead to a host of problems, including corrosion in fuel tanks, fuel leaks, fires and possible explosions. It also could void a valuable engine warranty.

One of the main problems with ethanol blend fuel is that it is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water. This can lead to excessive amounts of water in a fuel tank, especially those that are only partially filled and sit idle for long periods of time. Water can cause corrosion that can break loose, clog fuel injectors, filters and damage other engine components.

"At this point not one test has been performed on a marine engine or fuel system with E15," Dunn said. "We believe it is [the EPA's] obligation under the law not to approve the waiver for E15 unless they perform the requisite testing and can insure there will not be any performance or durability issues or consumer or emissions problems with respect to the products that are currently in the field."

Is it possible to build an outboard compatible with fuels containing 15 percent or more ethanol?

Most certainly, according to Ben Speciale, vice president of operations and planning for the Yamaha Marine Group.

"The real problem is that there are a lot of older outboards currently in service that cannot run on fuel that contains more than 10 percent ethanol," Speciale said. "If the EPA rules in favor of this waiver application, hundreds of thousands of boaters will suffer the consequences."

The EPA is taking public comments on a waiver petition through May 21. Dunn said the agency will make a decision to deny or accept the waiver by Dec. 31.

"The NMMA is hoping to push back hard enough that they will deny the waiver," Dunn said. "We are encouraging anybody out there who owns a marine engine to share their views firmly with the EPA."

Comments are being accepted online at capwiz.com/nmma/home/ or you can contact James W. Caldwell at the Office of Transportation and Air Quality (mailcode: 6406J), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20460. His phone number is 202-343-9393. His fax number is 202- 343-2080, and his e-mail address is calwell.jim@epa.gov.

Matt Williams' e-mail address is mattwilliams@netdot.com.

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