It’s not news that E15 is a problem for marine gas engines. In fact, it voids many marine engine warranties, the federal government prohibits its use in recreational boat engines, and the Environmental Protection Agency prohibits it for sale in many states during the summer months because it contributes to smog. But now it turns out that finding an E15 warning label on a gas pump can be an even bigger problem.
(Question: Can you see the E15 warning label on this pump near Cedar Lake, Indiana, in the photo above? It took us a while, too. For the answer, see the photo at the bottom of this story.)
To illustrate the problem, the National Marine Manufacturers Association has created a new website (protecting boaters at the gas pump) with photos of gas pumps in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin that show the challenges boaters face with poor ethanol warning labels at the gas pump, possibly resulting in getting the wrong fuel. The small orange E15 warning labels are not displayed uniformaly, and are often hard to see.
Meanwhile, President Trump is moving to allow the sale of E15 (fuel with 15 percent ethanol) all year round. Boating groups, including the NMMA, say that decision puts 142 million owners of gas-powered boats at risk. The poor labeling at the pump just makes the situation worse.
“The ethanol industry doesn’t want you to see these photos of gas pumps,” says David Kennedy, manager of government affairs for BoatUS. “The confusion presented to consumers at the pump today is real.” Read more:
https://www.boatus.com/pressroom/release.asp?id=1455
