On April 25, during the 2012 American Boating Congress (ABC) general session, The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) proudly recognized a group of individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the recreational boating industry over the past year. The Environmental Achievement Awards are given each year to NMMA members who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, offering innovative and original advancements in research.

This year’s six recipients recognized a problem within the recreational boating and engineering industry and rather than accept it, they sought out solutions. In the face of looming ethanol policies which would allow this detrimental fuel to enter the marketplace, these members collectively shared their expertise and successfully tested alternatives showing promise for the next generation of renewable fuels. Last summer’s on-water isobutanol testing resulted in the advancement of encouraging alternative to E15. The 2012 Environmental Achievement Awards recipients included:

• Rich Kolb, Engineering Manager, Emissions, Regulations, Parts & Accessories, Volvo Penta
• Jeff Wasil, Emissions Certification Engineer, Bombardier Recreational Products
• John Adey, President, American Boat and Yacht Council
• Brian Goodwin, Technical Director, American Boat and Yacht Council
• Dave Munz, Business Development Manager, Gevo
• Ryck Lydecker, Assistant Vice President, Government Affairs, BoatUS

NMMA’s Director of Environmental Safety and Compliance, John McKnight presented the awards during ABC and notes “NMMA is honored to have such motivated and innovative members. This type of research is critical to the success of our industry as we work together to discover new and creative ways to solve policy and regulatory challenges.”