DNR Warns Boaters About Fueling Risks

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It’s a warning to boaters as the weather starts to warm up from the Coast Guard. Coast Guard spokesman Jeremiah Schiessel told Michigan News Network that gas stations are now authorized to sell a summer blend of gas called E-15, with 15% ethanol. But boaters should not put that in their boats.

“People pull into roadside gas stations for the convenience of possibly filling up their vessel while they are filling up their tow vehicle,” Schiessel said. “The warning is speaking more toward the people who decide to do that at roadside gas stations.”

E-15 fuel can make the boat’s engine run hotter, increasing the potential of a catastrophic fire. Schiessel says the warning at the gas pumps might not be that noticeable.