EPA New Rules

[Alan]

The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday signed proposed new rules, which will have a sweeping effect on boat builders, engine manufacturers and manufacturers of marine generators. The EPA rule is titled Control of Emissions from Non-Road Spark Ignition Engines and Equipment. The effects of the latest proposal are two-fold; requiring spark-ignited (gas) marine engine manufacturers to meet new emission standards beginning in 2009, and requiring boat builders to reduce evaporative emissions from boat fuel systems.  Under the proposal, outboard and PWC engines will have to be certified to the same stringent exhaust emission standards as will be required by the California Air Resources Board in 2008.  For stern drive and inboard engines, the EPA rule proposes catalyst-based exhaust emission standards apply beginning in 2009. Boat builders will be required to change their fuel systems with requirements for fuel hose, plastic fuel tanks and controlling emissions from the fuel tank vent.

 

[Paul Akers]

In a Nutshell...

...What does this me for the regular old Joe such as us?

 

[Ross]

I think this means that the new stinkpots

won't smell as bad as the old stinkpots. They probably will still be just as loud. Be kinda fun to see them hang a cat converter on a 5 horse outboard.

 

[tom]

Gotta Breath

We have to breath this stuff called air. For years I have thought that diesel trucks should clean up their act. All of that black soot causes cancer. It makes me sick to think of children breathing that crap. Outboard engines are real stinkpots..I know I have one. Guilty of buying a new two stroke last year a big ole Tohatsu 3.5A. It stinks and is noisey. My old 2 stroke 4hp mercury was worse. Clean air isn't a bad thing. Hopefully the regulations will be reasonable and effective. Believe it or not there are still people burning garbage in their back yards here in Alabama. Nothing like breathing burning plastic smoke to solve the social security mess. Of course having children die of cancer might be considered a high price to pay for the convenience of burning your own garbage. I do hate government regulations but with 300 million + people living in the USA it becomes usefull. Anarchy only works well with a low population density. In some areas there are enough boats to create air pollution problems.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Paul

negligible effect on current boat owners and some long-term effect on people who breath -the new emission standards will apply to diesel engines manufactured after 2008 and 2-stroke outboards will become extinct as soon as the current crop losses there compression

 

[NautiDuck]

Tom, say what?

You care about the air we breathe and you still bought a two stroke only a year ago? What were you thinking? This is exactly why government regs are needed. Voluntary compliance simply doesn't work.

 

[Doug]

Somalia

One of the most free nations on our planet is Somalia. NO RULES

 

[Phil]

2- strokes here to stay!

The large 50hp.-250hp. evinrude e-tec(2stroke) out boards built today have lower emissions than comprable size 4 strokes. It's a fact! They couldn't say it if it wasn't true. Check out their web site. The evinrude e-tec brand is owned by BRP and made in Wisconsin. It's only a matter of a short time until the e-tec technology is introduced into the small outboards. The kind that are used on sail boats. The government sets emission standards and all outboards must pass them 2 or 4 strokes. The 2 strokes have less movable parts, much lighter and very simple. Don't write them off yet! I should know because I go there every day and help build them!

 

[tom]

Nautiduck I'm Guilty

I needed a 4HP engine that was light and easy to handle on my canoe and future dinghy. A 4 stroke was much more expensive. In my defense I don't use the outboard very often. In it's defense it is small and doesn't smoke much once warm. I don't feel too guilty with all of the other larger 2 strokes running around. My little 3.5 can't be as dirty as the average PWC. But pooping a little turd in the hot tub though not as bad as a big dump is still bad. I was willing to pay the extra cost it was the estra weight that made me buy the two stroke. Hopefully they will lower the weight of 4 strokes. I do agree with enlightened reasonable regulations. I assume that people act in their own best interest which isn't always what is best for the world. When I was a child it was common practice for people near a creek to run their sewage directly into the creek. Even as late as the early 80's some homeowners were grandfathered and allowed to continue running sewage directly into a creek. Almost anyone would agree that raw sewage running directly into creeks is a bad thing. As the human burden on the planet increases each of us will have to leave smaller footprints or the world willbe more or less like a cattle feedlot. Everyone stomping around in each others poop metaphorically and literally. The sad thing is that in most of the world having a large family is still considered a good thing. You see the aid groups showing poor people asking how can I feed my 12 kids....duh exactly why do you have 12 kids to feed??? Human population growth will stop at some point. disease,starvation or rational thought will make it happen. Hopefully the growth will stop while the earth is still a great place to live.

 

[Calif. Ted]

California is going one better even,

seems they will now require a $1500 permit for ANY vessel that discharges cooling water to combat Quagga mussels in Lake Havasu. See the article attached:

 

[NautiDuck]

Tom, I love that quote

"Pooping a little turd in the hot tub." I'm going to have to use that somehow!I am a Republican (sorry!) but even I have come to the conclusion that the earth really needs our help and to be helpful we are all going to have to make some changes. It is going to cost some $ and wont always be convenient but we really need to do it. We recently parked the SUV and bought a hybrid. We'll use the SUV only for the things that require it. *box