Date: Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2002 - For Immediate Release
Contacts:
- Randy Henry, Oregon State Marine Board - (503) 373-1405 x247
- Trey Carskadon, Portland Marine Dealers Assoc. - (503) 670-7939
- Monita Fontaine, Vice President, Government Relations, National Marine Manufacturers Association - (202) 721 1602
Editor's Note: The media is invited to see examples of efficient, clean-burning, new technology marine engines at Riverplace Marina from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29. Call Randy Henry or Trey Carskadon for additional information.
Salem, OR - The Oregon State Marine Board, The Portland Marine Dealers Association, National Marine Manufacturers Association, Marine Retailers of America and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality have signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) calling for the acceleration of phased-in low pollution marine engines in Oregon.
The MOU launches development of a public information and marketing campaign educating personal watercraft operators and boaters about carbureted marine engines and the environmental benefits of retiring them in favor of efficient, low-pollution marine engines.
The MOU punctuates the Oregon marine industry’s commitment to clean air and water by expediting what is considered the most aggressive emission mandates and timelines ever leveled on an industry by the Environmental Protection Agency. Not only has the national, regional and statewide marine industries embraced these mandates, they’ve exceeded them by producing, introducing and effectively retailing new technology outboard and personal watercraft engines years ahead of the required timelines, according to MOU partners.
“The introduction of these new engines has resulted in the single largest financial investment and product change in the history of the marine industry," according to David Bolton, Regional Business Director for Mercury Marine.
Trey Carskadon, Government Affairs Liaison for the Portland Marine Dealers Association and Marketing Director of Advanced Marketing Solutions, Inc., said the investment is paying off. “The effort by marine businesses in Oregon, as well as the rest of the nation, has been exemplary," said Carskadon. "We are achieving in less than 10 years what has taken other industries more than 25 years to accomplish. We’ve not only complied with the EPA’s air quality emission mandates, we’ve pushed the envelope by initiating costly rebate programs to stimulate the sale of new, cleaner personal watercraft and outboard motor technologies while providing the necessary education and support to boat dealers and their customers.”
"Recreational boat manufacturers are committed to a clean marine environment," said Monita Fontaine, Vice President, Government Relations, National Marine Manufacturers Association. "We're in this business because we believe in the value of outdoor recreation and we're extremely proud that our investment in cleaner, quieter and more efficient marine engine technology has led to this important agreement."
The effort especially makes sense in Oregon where nearly 70 percent of the boats are used primarily for fishing, according to the Marine Board. "Clean water and healthy fish populations are important for boaters and the recreational boating industry," said Paul Donheffner, director of the Marine Board. "We applaud the success of the recreational boating industry to meet these stringent standards and partner with us to encourage their use among boaters. With this memorandum of understanding, we plan to turn more boaters and PWC operators toward these new, efficient, clean technologies as quickly as possible. You'll find that these new engines are not only good for our air and water, but are cheaper to operate, too."
For more information on marine engines and the MOU, check the Oregon State Marine Board’s website at www.boatoregon.com.
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Additional Facts: (see also our information on the EPA phase-in.
- The phase-in: The Environmental Protection Agency adopted standards in 1996 requiring a 75 percent reduction in outboard and personal watercraft engine hydrocarbon emissions from 1996 levels by the year 2006. Several different engine technologies already meet the 2006 standards.
- Carbureted two-stroke engines: Oregon is a small-boat state - many of the boats and personal watercraft are equipped with conventional, carbureted 2-stroke engines. The engines are lightweight and easy to maintain, but expel relatively large amounts of hydrocarbons into the air. Engine exhaust, mixed with nitrogen oxide and sunlight, can product harmful smog. The older carbureted two-stroke engines produce higher emissions then new technology marine engines.
- Cost: These new-technology engines are 10-20 percent more expensive. However, they are more fuel efficient (30-50 percent) and use much less oil than carbureted two-strokes, and have a longer EPA-mandated warranty making them compare favorably with the less expensive carbureted two-stroke engines. They are also generally quieter with improved starting and throttle response.
- The EPA phase-in is voluntary at the consumer level and does not affect sale of used engines. This campaign will encourage but not require users to replace their carbureted two-stroke engine.
For a copy of the MOU, click here...
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