ACTION ALERT
Tell EPA to deny waiver for E15 gasoline

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the Marine Retailers Association of America (MRAA), and the Association of Marina Industries (AMI) are asking all their members to submit comments to the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) encouraging the agency to deny a petition to increase the ethanol blend levels in gasoline to E15.

On April 21, a pro-ethanol lobbying organization called Growth Energy and 54 ethanol manufacturers submitted a formal petition to the EPA. They requested a waiver under the Clean Air Act to increase ethanol blends levels in gasoline up to 15 percent (E15) by volume. As is required by law, the EPA published on April 21 in the Federal Register a Notice for Comment, beginning a 30-day comment period that ends May 21, 2009. There is enormous political pressure on federal agencies to allow a high blend level despite well-known problems with mid-level ethanol gasoline.

These marine industry associations are asking all interested parties to submit comments to EPA arguing that the petition be denied. The argument here is that there has been no testing to date by any federal agency on the impact of mid-level ethanol blends on marine products. Marine engines are currently designed and certified to run on no more than 10 percent ethanol (E10), which is the current legal allowable blend limit. Any increase to the limit will likely bring marine engines out of compliance with the federal clean air law, possibly damage engines due to higher temperatures, pose risks to boaters, and likely mean that engine warranties will be voided.

All boat and engine manufacturers, boat and motor dealers, and marinas, boatyards, and service centers are encouraged to send comments directly to the EPA. NMMA has set up a grassroots advocacy toolkit that links directly to the EPA and all interested persons can use it to send in comments.

This is the time for the industry to band together and present a unified front seeking to deny the E15 waiver request until independent and comprehensive scientific testing is completed on a full range of marine engines and other products.