EPA $trikes Again.....

well, as much as i dont like EPA rules, i also feel the boating industry could do a better job when it comes to fuel tanks.

for instance on most boats it's almost impossible to refuel without spilling... vents are too small, poorly located and prone to restriction. As to reducing permeability, why do we boat owners accept boats on which the tanks may need replacement in as little as 10 to 15 years?

how hard is it to run the fillers and vents to a common location that's easy to reach from a side deck or swimplatform, with a built in spill catch?
 
The way I read it Pascal is they want a closed system like on a car. That's what scared me.
 
“The major changes to fuel systems center around reducing the permeability of the fuel tank, eliminating open tank venting, and reducing the potential for spillage during refueling,” -- from linked article

Frankly, the stench in my bilge was from a permeated fuel tank, and there was/is simply no excuse for the mfgr having used that permeable tank. Reducing spillage during fueling was an often overlooked problem,. I personally couldn't care less about open tank venting, one way or another.

But if the industry had used common sense about the first two, there would likely never have been a reg about it.

I am no fan of the EPA, but this ruling was avoidable and much of it makes sense.
 
Well yes I agree about the open vent issue, how is it done on cars? Charcoal filter and sent back into the engine intake?

What bugs me here is that it s not done for safety but to please tree huggers.
 
Those of you who have permeation issues, what are your tanks made from? Mine have always been aluminum and I've not had any permeation problems. I agree that there should be some better provisions for spills, and tanks shouldn't sit flat on platforms without air space underneath. I've always wondered why boats didn't have closed vent systems like cars. The auto indutry has had them since the 70s. Would it be that much harder to achieve in a boat?
 
Boats do not have closed vapor recovery systems. In fact they are a royal PIA to repair for my commercial fleet to pass NJ emissions inspection every 12 months. I can't imagine the system in a gas boat with 2 engines. Just another reason to not purchase a gas boat or keep one. Then again with the latest diesel emission standards by the EPA. The new tier diesel engines that used to put out 240hp now only do 180hp. Add biodiesel to the mix and you need to polish diesel fuel now. Nothing like taking a position on an industry already struggling to survive in this economy.
Bill
 
quote:
for instance on most boats it's almost impossible to refuel without spilling... vents are too small, poorly located and prone to restriction.
Click to expand...


My owners manual actually says to "fill the tanks until the gas comes out of the vents, which means that they are now full".

I dislike government regulation but like others, I don't understand why we need to dump fuel into the water. Why not use a system similar to a car or truck?

(Just don't make me retrofit my current boat...)

Jim
 
-->> SCORPIO

Tank was HDPE. It did not take very long...

The point is: forget the cost issue; if the tank cannot contain the fuel ( ALL of it ) than you should not use that tank.

I is easy enough to provide for more effective spill control while filling, but what happens is that those measures either "don't look pretty" or are slightly more difficult to deal with during assembly. Since you are dealing with a "hazardous chemical" ( flammable ), proper procedures should be followed. Permeability in a "permanent" tank is a mistake. Poorly designed fill location is a mistake. "Open air venting" is more of a "carbon" issue than any other reason, and I don't feel that the "carbon issue" is important. Imho.

Fixing the tank material is simple and while it may cost more, it should have been done in the first place. Ditto the poorly placed/designed fill systems. Honestly, after spending a college tuition on a new engine or two, the additional cost is trivial. ( ie: less than a "boat unit" for each of the two problems )

--

( I'll bet you see fairly large boats without built in tanks, but rather large removable tanks which most likely won't be covered by the rule... )
 
Well, I was reading up on that Bill, and portable tanks are also covered. They will have to hold up to 5 psi before venting anything since they have to be sealed.

Considering how they screwed up the 5 gal portable gas can with their idiocy, I'd say stock up on tanks if you will need one any time soon. Getting a new one and "fixing it" may land you in Leavenworth to break a few rocks.
 
The way I read the rulemaking this only applies to new production boats not existing boats for repair and replacement of boats built prior to 2012.
Bill
 
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