Mercury Marine ‘Disappointed’ In Court’s Ethanol Ruling

Mercury Marine—the parent company of high-performance marine engine giant Mercury Racing—has joined the National Marine Manufacturers Association in voicing its displeasure at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit’s dismissal of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule requiring misfueling mitigation plans for the sale of E15 gasoline, which contains ethanol.

According to the NMMA’s director of legal and government affairs, the ruling on E15, which damages marine outboard and stern-drive engines, is a temporary setback.

“We are very disappointed by this news and are highly concerned that our customers are receiving information that could result in permanent damage to their engines,” said Kevin Grodzki, the Fond Du Lac, Wis., company’s president of global sales and marketing. “Safety should be the number one priority and this decision doesn’t factor in the safety of boaters.”

According to last Tuesday’s court ruling, the opposition to E15 “failed to establish Article III standing—because they “cannot show members have suffered or are with suffering an injury in fact (due to sales of E15) that is traceable to the misfueling regulation and redressable by a favorable decision.”

According to Nicole Vasilaros, the director of federal and legal affairs for NMMA, Tuesday’s decision is a temporary “road block.”

“While this decision is disheartening, the matter is far from over. NMMA continues to actively seek Congressional action that will reform the Renewable Fuel Standard and protect recreational marine products and consumers,” he said in the release

Editor’s Note: To read more about the NMMA’s stand against the decision, click here: