NC BOATERS NEED A LAWYER

[HOTSPOT]

Thanks Kamper!

[HOTSPOT]

I have touched base with a firm that specializes in Consumer Affairs.

I have given them tons of facts and testimonials for them to review.

I will keep y'all updated as best I can without jeopardizing our mission.

We are documenting every step so each State can follow along.

The website will also be replicated in many other states.

We have to settle this thing on a State level first, then go for the Feds.

We made changes and history with the Towing Bill, I am certain we can do it again.

The support so far is UNREAL!!!

[reefhunter]

First - You're bucking a Federally mandated law

Second - It's the EPA you need to address

Third - It's Congress that approved it

Most likely it will be dismissed without predjudice by a lower court. Since the law was passed by Congress as part of the Clean Air Act in 1990 this is what you are up against. Ethanol is one of the replacement additives for MTBE which is a known carcinogen. It is created for use in highway vehicles, but has been expanded to include marine applications. Everyone wants cleaner air - http://www.epa.gov/air/caa/

A good friend of mine just replaced his Chevy boat engine with a flex-fuel 4.7 which burns E85. Every item on the engine and fuel lines was specifically built for E85 use, which means it is overbuilt to withstand the corrosive effects of the fuel.

I am sorry that you're having problems with older engines and fuel systems with the meager E10. The idea is to get those older units off the road and the water.

I just read somewhere, the Feds are putting up $4500 to get those smog peddlers off the road? Seems like a good idea to me. Maybe they'll trickle it down to boat owners too. You never know.

[Sandy]

Are those of you who say it is a federally mandated law that ethanol must be used sure about that? It may be true but I was under the impression the only ethanol mandates were in some states and the federal mandate is to reduce particular emissions by any effective non-toxic means( with use of oxygenates?) and ethanol for this use happens to be the poster child of the beneficently generously-spending grain-state & ethanol distillary lobbyists.

[newsie]

Hi everybody.I am brand new to Reel Boating and I am curious as to whether anyone knows if this issue also exists in Canada...

[MTLOGGER44]

A good friend of mine just replaced his Chevy boat engine with a flex-fuel 4.7 which burns E85. Every item on the engine and fuel lines was specifically built for E85 use, which means it is overbuilt to withstand the corrosive effects of the fuel.

That would be my son who replaced the engine on his 26ft Cutlass Cavalier.

As to the Fed mandate - that's correct. If you read the link provided you can read it for yourself. I don't think a state can amend a fed CFR statute. State's rights don't extend that far.

[kerno]

I'm no expert on this, but I think the successful lawsuits have been against the refiners and distributors for not providing ethanol free fuel for boats. I believe the ethanol is federally mandated for passenger cars. The boaters in Hawaii sued the refiners. not the state, and got ethanol free fuel in some of the marinas.

[HOTSPOT]

I'm no expert on this, but I think the successful lawsuits have been against the refiners and distributors for not providing ethanol free fuel for boats. I believe the ethanol is federally mandated for passenger cars. The boaters in Hawaii sued the refiners. not the state, and got ethanol free fuel in some of the marinas.

You are correct kerno. Several states have fought the battle and won. Marinas are NOT forced to sell Ethanol by the FED or State and Off Road Fuel is available.

[denny-o]

The fuel industry will fight to their last fifth of scotch to force you to accept ethanol... They are selling you $3.00/g fuel with $0.50/g alcohol in it... They will fight to the death on this...

[SnoweyTiger]

The EPA wants older motors of all kinds to accelerate their retirement from service. The $4,500 for "clunkers" incentive gets old guzzlers off the road and gets new cars off the lot at the very time the domestic automakers struggle for survival. Its a double dip for the auto industry. If E10 fuels cause more boaters to give up older 2 cycle outboards for newer 3 star 4 strokes, then bonus points for the EPA and too bad for the boater's wallets. In the EPA's ideal world all of our smoky 2 cycle outboards would be gone tomorrow despite the fact that they contribute precious little to the overall pollution issue.

But the previous posters are correct, the mandate only applies to motor fuels in certain areas, it applies to neither marina's nor non-road use vehicles. I saw 100+ octane non-ethanol fuel at a pump on a recent trip, so the mandate is obviously non universal.

At this juncture Uncle Sugar does not care how much extra expense we incur for our boating pass time so long as those all mighty greenhouse gasses get curbed. Our $600 carb rebuild to replace all those seals eaten by ethanol just encourages us to march in lockstep with the agenda.

I hope this lawsuit at least gets enough traction for someone in the bureaucracy to realize their headlong pursuit of environmental goals inflicts a high cost on the folks that just might not keep them in office.