Personal Watercraft Pollute Air and Water; Restrictions Proposed

Back to Map Page December,1998 Sacramento, California California, the national leader in legislating air pollution controls in cars and industrial emissions, is now considering restrictions on the sale of personal water craft and other small boats by 2001. Commonly called by the brand names Jet Ski or and Wave Runners, personal water craft run on two-cycle engines that produce more pollution in seven hours than the average new car produces in 100,000 miles. Up to a third of the fuel used in these engines is discharged, unburned, to the air and water. Currently these engines release about 130 tons of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides into the air and water each day. Although many (appliances) have two-cycle engines, personal water craft are the focus the current legislation because they are unregulated and are a popular and fast-growing market in two-cycle engines. Personal water craft have been cited as one of the largest sources of toxic water pollution in the US.   Personal watercraft are increasingly being seen as a threat to water and air quality. California's Air Resources Board, a state office associated with the California Environmental Protection Agency, hopes to impose emissions standards that will reduce emissions in all newly-sold two-cycle engines by 70% by 2001, and 90% cleaner  by 2008. Nationally there is a target of 2006 to implement restrictions of pollution from two-cycle marine engines. Leading the charge against these dirty engines, of which there are about half a million in California alone, is San Franciscoís Earth Island Institute. Around the country, personal watercraft have come under fire for making noise, disturbing other boaters and wildlife, and causing a public hazards with their unusually high speeds and accident rates. The air and water pollution problems, though, pose the first significant threat to the use of these popular sport boats. If Californiaís restrictions take effect, other states may well follow suit to reduce water contamination and air pollution on recreational waters. For further information, see these related web sites: California Air Resources Board  web page News report from CNN, July 1998 To read more, see Environmental Science, A Global Concern, Cunningham and Saigo, 5th ed. Water pollution control legislation: pages 455-459 Clean air legislation: pages 404-406 Air pollution: pages 387-392 (volatile organic compounds: page 390) Environmental Science, Enger and Smith, 6th ed. Major environmental conservation legislation: page 408 Water pollution: pages 294-302 Back to Map Page feedback form | permissions | international | locate your campus rep | request a review copy digital solutions | publish with us | customer service | mhhe home Copyright ©2001 The McGraw-Hill Companies. Any use is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. McGraw-Hill Higher Education is one of the many fine businesses of the The McGraw-Hill Companies.