PWC comprise about 30% of all nonroad emissions
Through studies mandated in 1990, the EPA has concluded that the gasoline-powered engines found on motorboats, jetboats and PWC comprise about 30% of all nonroad emissions. Furthermore, in areas with extensive boating populations, marine engines alone can account for 10% of all hydrocarbon emissions. Consequently, in 1996, the EPA established new air emission standards for all gasoline-powered marine engines.
These standards are being phased in from 1998-2006 and should reduce the hydrocarbon emissions of these engines by 75% in 2025 (US EPA 1996). In addition to these federal standards, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has adopted a more stringent set of regulations to address that state’s massive boating population and extreme air quality problems.
CARB requires marine engine manufacturers to reduce their hydrocarbon emissions by 75% on 2001 models and by 90% on 2008 models (CARB 1998). Neither the EPA nor the CARB standards apply to engine models pre-dating the restrictions.