California Air Resources Board

SACRAMENTO – The California Air Resources Board (ARB) on Wednesday will demonstrate the impact on air and water quality of marine engines that would be subject to ARB's proposed new emission standards.

The news media is invited to attend the demonstration, which will begin at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 9, in the parking lot at ARB's headquarters, 2020 L Street, Sacramento. Peter M. Rooney, Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency, is scheduled to attend.

ARB staff will operate a watercraft engine that is representative of those currently on the market, as well as an advanced engine that meets ARB's proposed standards. The demonstration will take place in a water tank in ARB's parking lot and will last about a half- hour.

A 100-horsepower personal watercraft engine operated for seven hours produces more emissions than a 1998 California automobile driven for 100,000 miles. In addition, two- stroke watercraft engines discharge 25 to 30 percent of their fuel unburned into the water and air and a typical personal watercraft each year discharges between 50 and 60 gallons of unburned gasoline into the environment.

ARB on Thursday will consider the adoption of emission standards for new outboard engines and personal watercraft engines beginning in 2001. Under the proposed regulation, a typical marine engine would become 70 percent cleaner by 2001 and 90 percent cleaner by 2008.

A second public demonstration of the marine engines will take place at the beginning of the Board meeting at 8:00 a.m., Thursday, also at 2020 L Street, Sacramento.