WCI's Gulf Harbour Marina to Become Florida's First Biodiesel Marina

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WCI's Gulf Harbour Marina to Become Florida's First Biodiesel Marina

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For Immediate Release

WCI's Gulf Harbour Marina to Become Florida's First Biodiesel Marina

FLORIDA, BONITA SPRINGS, Feb. 28 -/E-Wire/-- In a move to further strengthen its full-court press on environmental sustainability, WCI Communities, Inc. (WCI) today introduced plans to convert its 190-slip marina at Ft. Myers' Gulf Harbour Yacht & Country Club into the state's first biodiesel fuel marina. Beginning March 11, Gulf Harbour's marina customers will be able to purchase a biodiesel mix product, made from 20 percent soybean oil and 80 percent fossil fuel, under a blend named B20. The company is holding informational workshops to educate community boaters and area boat mechanics on the fuel source and its benefits.

Karen Childress, WCI's Environmental Stewardship Manager, said that by WCI's use of alternative petroleum sources, the company is taking advantage of an opportunity to capitalize on alternative energy resources. "Secondly," she said, "our biodiesel use reduces harmful emissions in and around Gulf Harbour's marina and adjacent waterways. The switch to biodiesel in one of many steps WCI is taking with respect to environmental sustainability and responsible development."

Biodiesel is a diesel fuel alternative made from biological wastes such as soybean oil and recycled cooking grease. It produces fewer pollutants than petroleum diesel with the same power levels of conventional diesel fuel, and can be used without engine modification in any machinery that uses diesel fuel. Biodiesel is nonhazardous, biodegradable and gives off an exhaust some liken to the smell of popcorn.

On February 13, the Senate Finance Committee approved a tax incentive for biodiesel as part of a package of tax provisions promoting American energy security. The Lincoln/Grassley amendment would give a one-cent reduction in the excise tax for every one percent of biodiesel that is blended into standard diesel fuel--up to 20 percent total content. The provision would be in effect for three years.

The change to biodiesel fuel at Gulf Harbour is part of a significant environmental commitment by WCI with regard to its marinas. In December 2001, WCI made a $200,000 commitment in partnership with Lee County to form the Lee County Manatee Protection Trust. The state's first public-private partnership for manatee protection will provide educational instruction, printed materials, signage and displays to boaters for greater protection of the Florida manatee. Gulf Harbour has also received an award from the Environmental Protection Agency for an engineering design which allowed the marina basin to flush in fewer than six hours.

For more than 50 years WCI Communities, Inc., based in Bonita Springs, Florida, has been creating amenity-rich, leisure-oriented master-planned communities throughout Florida. WCI is a privately held company with more than 30 communities located in Florida’s most desirable coastal markets. Its award-winning communities currently feature more than 500 holes of golf, more than 1,000 boat slips at five deep-water marinas, various country club, tennis and recreational facilities and several luxury hotels. The company’s land holdings include approximately 16,000 acres planned for as many as 29,000 residences. Its homebuilding operations serve primarily move-up, empty nester and retirement homebuyers. WCI has also distinguished itself from traditional homebuilders by developing luxury residential towers with prices ranging from approximately $400,000 to more than $10 million. The company also derives income from profitable amenity operations such as golf, restaurants and marinas as well as from ancillary businesses including Prudential Florida WCI Realty, mortgage, title and property management services. The company employs approximately 2,600 people and an additional 1,000 real estate brokers and associates.

WCI Communities, Inc.

Jama Dock,(941)498-8347,

http://www.wcicommunities.com

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