The NMMA, along with more than 50 of its boat- and engine- manufacturer members, submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding a proposed rule that will likely result in the recreational marine industry’s largest regulatory action.

The proposed EPA rule, officially titled “Control of Emissions from Non-road Spark Ignition Engines and Equipment,” impacts boatbuilders, gasoline engine manufacturers (both outboard and inboard/sterndrive), personal watercraft (PWC) and jet boat manufacturers, and manufacturers of marine generators. Comments from a number of concerned industry representatives—including boatbuilders, engine manufacturers, marine trade groups and members of Congress—were received by the August 3 deadline and will be heavily considered as EPA weighs arguments on all sides of the proposed rulemaking.

The rule, once finalized, will require new exhaust emission standards for all classes of gasoline-powered marine engines and, for the first time in history, impose evaporative emission standards on recreational boats.

To read comments submitted by NMMA and its member companies regarding the proposed rule, visit http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main and search for Docket ID EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0008. For additional information, contact John McKnight at (202) 737-9757; jmcknight@nmma.org.