Speak up now to reduce the chance of putting harmful E15 Fuel in your boat
by Scott Croft 10 Aug 2018 06:58 PDT
If a proposal by President Trump goes through, this little orange E15 warning label on a gas pump could be all that separates boaters from misfueling their boat, says BoatUS © Scott Croft
What: The battle to protect your boat's engine is not over. Right now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comments on the amount of ethanol that must be blended into the nation's fuel supply for 2019 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is asking all boat owners to Take Action Now to have their voices heard.
Why: E15 (15% ethanol) and higher-level ethanol fuel blends can now be found in at least 29 states and sold at over 1,400 stations, often at the very same pumps as E10 (10% ethanol) gasoline. Under the current EPA proposal, boaters can expect to see a greater volume of higher-level ethanol fuel blends dispensed at more gas stations, significantly increasing the chances for misfueling. Gasoline fuel blends greater than 10% ethanol are prohibited by federal law for use in recreational boat engines, will void many boat engine warranties, and can cause significant motor or fuel system damage.
Today, there is just a single, small warning sticker required on a fuel pump (among all the other pump labels) to prevent misfueling with E15. Combined with the EPA's 2019 RFS proposal for more ethanol in the nation's fuel supply, BoatUS believes these actions put boaters at greater risk of using fuel that could damage their boat's engine and void the warrantee, and burden boat owners with expensive repair bills.
How: BoatUS asks recreational boaters to urge the EPA to lower the ethanol mandates. Take action now by clicking on: bit.ly/2vNZYB9
Background: The RFS requires the blending of biofuels such as corn-ethanol into our gasoline. When it was passed in 2005, it assumed that America's use of gasoline would continue to grow. Since then, however, gasoline usage has not increased as forecast, which today forces more ethanol into each gallon of gas. To meet this government mandate, in 2010 the EPA permitted E15 (fuel containing up to 15% ethanol) into the marketplace, but only for some vehicle engines.
For more information, go to Advocacy.BoatUS.com.