50% Ethanol Increase

General Boats and Motors
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NEWS From BoatUS
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
BoatUS Press Room at http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com

Photo Available at: http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom/previewImg/hiRes/569.jpg
Photo Caption: Damage to a boat engine carburetor as a result of ethanol at 10% (E10).

America’s Boaters Speak Up Loudly: Don’t Give Us More Ethanol
Without Testing It First

Boat Owners Association Reports Grassroots Efforts

ALEXANDRIA, Va., October 12, 2010 - In the battle to add up to 50% more ethanol to the nation’s gas supply without first providing scientific evidence it won’t harm boat engines or cause serious safety issues, America’s recreational boaters have spoken. Of the over 22,000 Americans who have emailed President Obama in the last thirteen days urging him to stop the EPA from approving the increase, BoatUS reports that nearly three-fourths of those emails are from BoatUS members and other recreational boaters.“On the very first day there were over 11,000 emails sent to the President that were generated through the http://www.FollowTheScience.org website attributed to BoatUS members and their friends,” said BoatUS Vice President of Government Affairs Margaret Podlich. “This shows our boat-owning membership is very worried about this issue and wants to see independent testing completed first. We hope their grassroots activism has an impact on this decision.”

A wide-ranging coalition of groups behind FollowtheScience.org created the email campaign in anticipation of the EPA’s decision - expected in just a few days - that is likely to announce the authorization of increased ethanol in the nation’s fuel supply.

Why are boaters speaking out so strongly?

Large numbers of boaters have been impacted by 10% ethanol in their gasoline, which was rolled out nationwide a few years ago. A solvent, ethanol can degrade fuel systems and harm boat engines. Boat

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Done. Thanks

2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”

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Done though I am sure Obummer and ilk could not care less what we want. I am sure in their eyes, if you have a boat, you must be rich so who cares.

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Although I dont disagree with the sentiment, I do feel that I need to point out some disingenuous statistics in the press release.

The change is a “50% increase in ethanol,” as in an increase by half again as much, from 10% to 15%… not a change from 10% ethanol/90% gas to 50% ethanol/50% gas.

I do not understand why, with the evidence already stacked in their favor (no testing of the new 15% ethanol/ 85% gas on marine engines, prior evidence of harm from 10% ethanol fuel), that BoatUS would use the relative percent instead of the more informative absolute one. Same thing that drug companies do with their studies (50% decrease in mortality on our drug… from 2 out of 10 million to 1 out of 10 million…)

Matt

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Read the first line again Matt.
“In the battle to add up to 50% more ethanol…”
Then read the rest slowly, nothing disingenuous that I see.

Captain Steve Little
TowBoat US Charleston
Psalm 107:23-32
www.towboatcharleston.com