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Tahoe Cleaner After Engine Ban Lake Tahoe has seen a dramatic 80 to 90 percent reduction in levels of burned and unburned gasoline products in its water since two-stroke, carburetor engines were banned in 1999, water quality officials said. The ban was
instituted after a study estimated that each day of the boating season,
two-stroke engines released 770 gallons of unburned fuel into the lake.
Research
determined that particles from the burned fuel were attaching to fine
sediment and other particles in the lake and going to the bottom. In
addition, certain areas of the lake that were used by residents as their
drinking water supply were shown to be contaminated by the gasoline additive
MTBE. Before the ban, businesses that rent boats and personal watercraft
feared having to convert their fleets to more expensive four-stroke machines
would force them out of business. But TRPA claims that fear was unfounded,
because no businesses ended up closing.
http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20040913/News |
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