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Boat Marine Engine Emission Regulations

Current and proposed marine engine emission regulations and their impact on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Carbon Dioxide Emissions.

This page is part of the Boat Carbon Footprint Information Center and is a Polson Enterprises web site.

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Where's The Beef?

Just like those old Wendy's hamburger commercials, we need to be asking Where's the Beef in the new proposed marine emission regulations as far as Carbon Dioxide is concerned, or perhaps, "Where's the Greenhouse Gasses?" I word searched the proposed regulations and only found Carbon Dioxide mentioned when it was defined as a definition. There are absolutely no restrictions on CO2 emmissions in the new regulations, in fact they will probably even be higher due to the use of catalytic convertors that convert some of the other emissions into Carbon Dioxide.

Are we the only ones awake out there??

     

Previous Recreational Marine Engine Emission Standards

The previous rounds of EPA Marine Engine standards were:
  • Outboards and Personal Watercraft - Regulatory Announcement in August of 1996 and adopted in October 1996. These regulations only applied to outboards, personal watercraft and jet boats. At that point in time, the EPA stated, "emission standards are not set for sterndrive and inboard engines due to the inherently clean nature that the technology of these engines provides." The EPA said the new engines (anticipated in 1998) would be over 75 percent cleaner that existing technology. This is basically when they dumped old two stroke technology and went to direct injected two strokes, four strokes and other related technologies.

  • Large Spark Ignition Engines (gas engines above 19Kw - about 25 HP) - adopted in November 2002. Tier One standards for 2004 through 2006 and and Tier Two standards for 2007 model year. Although labeled as a spark ignition engine regulation, the marine portion specifically applied to Marine Diesel Engines over 37 kw (about 50 HP). The EPA has a fact sheet and details on the regulation.

Currently Proposed Standards

The currently proposed standards (published 18 May 2008) are available from the EPA as a fact sheet and as the full regulation (note this is a 4 megabyte document).

Major changes in stern drive and inboard emission regulations will be in effect in California in 2008, and may go in effect nationally in 2009. A June 2007 article in Soundings Trade Only reports the National Marine Manufacturing Association (NMMA) says "it is expected to be the largest regulatory action in the history of the recreational marine industry.

The same article quotes EPA administrator Steve Johnson saying "recreational watercraft can belch out the emissions of 348 cars in one hour."

The proposed regulation requires spark ignition marine engines (gas engines) to meet new standards in 2009 and boat builders to reduce evaporative emissions from fuel tanks. As currently written, the proposal ramps down emission levels over time to only 30 percent of today's Hydrocarbons and Nitrous Oxides (NOX) and down to 80 percent of today's Carbon Monoxide. Absolutely no mention is made of Carbon Dioxide, the greenhouse gas attributed to global warming issues.

Carbon Monoxide (the silent killer on many boats, especially associated with swimming behind and under houseboats with the generator running) levels have been found to be high on many boats and certainly needs to be addressed. Better control of Hydrocarbons and Nitrous oxides is a good thing to do as well. However, what happened to Carbon Dioxide emissions?

The new proposed standard places stern drive & inboard emission targets for 2009 are 5 grams per kilowatt hour for Hydrocarbons and Nitrous Oxides and 75 grams per kilowatt hour for Carbon Monoxide. These values convert to .00822 pounds/HP-hr for Hydrocarbons and Nitrous Oxides, or .1233 pounds/HP-hr for Carbon Monoxide. For example, a 220 HP stern drive in compliance would emit a max of 1.81 pounds of Hydrocarbons and Nitrous Oxides per hour during the test as well as a max of 27.1 pounds of Carbon Monoxide. That's nice, but it still exhausts about 20 pounds of Carbon Dioxide for every gallon of fuel it burns!

Outboards and Personal WaterCraft standards for engines above 40kw (about (about 54 HP) will be tightened, but not as strict because they can not as easily adapt automotive engine block technologies. Outboard and Personal Watercraft proposed standards for these engines in 2009 are about three times the standards of similar powered inboard or stern drive engines. Proposed standards for Outboard and Personal Watercraft engines under 40kw are even lower.

EPA maintains a site titled, Gasoline Boats and Personal Watercraft to provide general information on the new proposed program to consumers as well as more detailed information to manufacturers.

Bibliography

  • A New Era. JoAnn W. Goddard. Soundings Trade Only. June 2007.

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