On Tuesday, February 5, and in partnership with numerous other groups, National Marine Manufacturers (NMMA) Association participated in a Hill briefing to educate policy makers and their staff about the negative impacts of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The briefing brought together over 70 House members or staffers and more than 50 members of the Senate, and their staff, as NMMA highlighted concerns about the introduction of E15 into the marketplace. Members of Congress listened as NMMA shared the results of research that shows the devastating effects that E15 can have on marine engines, including photos of destroyed engines which were damaged by E15 during testing. In addition to NMMA’s concerns regarding marine engines, testimony from the overall group touched on a wide variety of important issues impacted by the RFS such as food prices, conservation, emissions, and budget implications.
Jim Currie, director of federal legislative affairs with the National Marine Manufacturers Association said in closing remarks, “As I am the last presenter today, let me offer a hypothetical scenario, based on what you have heard. Suppose an organization approached the Hill today and said, ‘We have a great idea for a new policy. It will largely benefit a small number of people in one part of the country, and members of Congress from there will support it wholeheartedly. The downside is that it will hurt the environment; and conservation practices; and will drive up food costs; and hurt people in developing countries; and will potentially damage every small engine in the country…and it will damage boat engines; and it will potentially damage most automobile engines and will void your engine warranty if you use it.’ That’s where we are today, and we think this law needs to be changed”
For most of us this is not the first time you have heard the screaming over the latest trend in E15 fuel for your power boat. You have possibly heard of the horrors of the damage it is causing in all of the fuel related components on your engine. What you may have not heard about, is possibly one of the biggest fears you should have. When E15 becomes combusted with salt air it becomes like a super catalyst for erosion. For years you have known that salt water was the nemesis attacking your engine and exhaust systems water jackets and that eventually it would rot and corrode its way through the water jacket of your headers. Well hang on tight my friends because here’s an example of some factory Mercury Racing headers only 18 month old on some 700SCI Mercury Motors. These headers have been inspected and had metallurgical tests to verify they literally eroded from the exhaust passage to the water jacket. This new combination of ethanol will be destroying stainless steel exhaust systems around the country. While in this application it can be directly related to the E15 fuel and salt air analysis, time will tell what this fuel is capable of doing in a fresh air environment.
WARNING! E15 is destroying $5,000 exhaust systems and probably more we just don’t know it yet.
Reach out to your Senator or Congressman and let them know you will no longer stand for this outrage!
