United States Air and Radiation EPA420-F-02-009
Environmental Protection July 2002
Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
of
for
77)e L/.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing new
evaporative emission standards for gasoline-fueled boats and personal
watercraft. These proposed standards would require boat
manufacturers to install evaporative emission controls or use low-
emission fuel tanks on new boats produced in 2008 or later. These
standards would require manufacturers to reduce their average
evaporative emissions by about 80 percent. This fact sheet describes
the proposed program and its expected impact on boat owners.
Why is EPA regulating marine fuel systems?
Gasoline fuel tanks used in boats emit over 100,000 tons of gasoline
vapors each year across the United States. Most of these emissions occur
either from permeation of the fuel through plastic fuel tanks and hoses,
or as a result of heating of the fuel from normal daily temperature
changes. These vapors contribute to the formation of smog and contain
toxic compounds such as benzene. These impacts are described in more
detail in "FAQ: Environmental Impacts of Recreational Vehicles and
Other Nonroad Engines" (EPA420-F-01-030, September 2001).
Who is responsible for compliance?
The proposed regulations would apply to new boats produced in 2008 or
later. It would be the responsibility of the boat manufacturer to make
sure that each boat meets the new standards.
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What is a owner required to do?
The proposed regulations would have no effect on existing boats, and when they go into
effect, these regulations would have very little impact on boat owners. Since the pro-
posed regulations are designed to reduce harmful air pollution, the most important thing
for you to know as a boat owner is that you would not be allowed to disable any emis-
sion controls that were installed on your boat to comply with EPA regulations.
What technologies could be to the new standards?
We identified several control options that manufacturers could use to reduce gasoline
vapor emissions from boats. We expect that manufacturers would use a mixture of these
technologies to comply on average with the standards.
Permeation emissions from plastic fuel tanks could be reduced by including a low
permeability barrier to the fuel tanks. These barriers could take the form of surface
treatments on the tanks or low permeability barriers could actually be molded into the
walls of the fuel tank. Similar barrier strategies could be used to reduce permeation from
hoses as well. In fact, some marine fuel hoses already have a low permeation barrier.
Some manufacturers may use pressurized fuel tanks to prevent fuel vapors from escaping
through vent hoses. If a manufacturer designed its tank to vent only when the pressure
within the tank was above one pound per square inch (psi), it would meet the proposed
standard. This technology has been used previously in automobiles to reduce emissions.
For comparison, typical automotive fuel tanks are often pressurized to 2 psi.
Manufacturers may also install rubber bladders within the tank to reduce or eliminate the
volume of fuel vapors that is normally present in an uncontrolled fuel tank. Bladders are
already being used in some boats today for safety purposes, as well as for their environ-
mental benefits.
How much will controls cost?
We estimate that it would cost a manufacturer about $36 to comply with the proposed
standards for a typical boat with a 30-gallon tank. However, the evaporative controls
would save gasoline that would have otherwise evaporated from tank. For a typical boat
with a 32-gallon tank, this could add up to 44 gallons of gasoline over the life of the
boat. Both costs and savings would be larger for boats with larger fuel tanks.
How do technologies safety?
Reducing evaporative emissions would reduce exposure to potentially harmful gasoline
vapors; and in general, it should also reduce the risk of fires. Nevertheless, we are
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working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard to ensure that the emission controls do not
compromise the safety of the boats in any way.
How can I comment on the rule?
We welcome your comments on the proposed rule. You may submit comments by send-
ing an E-mail to mcnprm@epa.gov, or, for more detailed instructions on submitting
written comments, please see the Federal Register notice. It is available from the EPA
Air Docket by calling (202) 566-1742; please refer to Docket No. A-2000-02. In addi-
tion, you can access the Federal Register notice and related documents electronically on
our Web page for recreational marine issues at: www.epa.gov/otaq/marinesi.htm.
Where can I get more information?
Keep an eye on our web page for more information and any developments. For further
information, please contact Mike Samulski at:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
2000 Traverwood Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
E-mail: samulski.michael@epa.gov
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