By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a proposal that would eliminate Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) deratements on new trucks and engines.

“Instead of your truck or your tractor lurching to a halt when the DEF system fails, you’d get a warning or even a light or sound that’ll tell you something needs attention,” Scott Mason, administrator for EPA’s south central region, said. “You would keep going until you can basically safely pull over and get it fixed. There’s no more being stranded on the highway, endangering you, your fellow commuters (and) stopping your work in the field.”

The proposal, Mason said, is in response to concerns farmers, ranchers and truck drivers have shared with EPA on DEF system failures.

“EPA has heard these concerns, and we’ve worked hard over the past year, year-and-a-half really, to start taking action and bringing some breathing room for these requirements,” Mason told the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network. “Now, we are going even further by proposing to completely remove DEF deratements from newly built highway trucks and engines on road and off road.”

Under the proposal, the DEF warning would be like a “change oil” light—a warning that drivers need to take action, but vehicles would no longer slow down or stop working entirely due to a DEF failure.

DEF would still be required in the engines.

“That’s part of the Clean Air Act. For that to be taken out totally, it would take an act of Congress. That is for something for the U.S. Congress to take up, and this EPA will follow the law,” Mason said. “What we can do is we will take this as far as we can, and that’s what we’re doing right now with the sensor light that will come on. The DEF will still be part of the system of the vehicle, but the deratement will be gone.”

The proposal would only impact new vehicles and engines, but Mason said there’s more to come on current vehicles.

“Stay tuned on that,” he said.

EPA is currently accepting comments on the proposal.

“We want to hear from the public. They have a 45-day public comment period that’s currently open. Just go to epa.gov and everything will be on the website,” Mason said. “I promise you the Trump EPA will continue to develop common sense proposals that improve the lives of everyday Americans while growing the economy at the same time.”

The deadline to submit comments is Aug. 29.

EPA will host virtual public hearings July 29 and 30.

Additional details are available here.