By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is no longer requiring Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) urea quality sensors on diesel equipment.
U.S. President Donald Trump made the announcement at an event celebrating American agriculture on the White House lawn Friday, March 27.
“We had a ridiculous Washington restriction called the Diesel Exhaust Fluid requirement. It was a basic disaster,” Trump said. “We’re announcing new guidelines drastically limiting these ridiculous DEF rules, saving farmers and consumers billions and billions of dollars.”
According to EPA guidance, manufacturers can now stop inaccurate DEF system failures by removing traditional emission sensors, or urea quality sensors, and switching to nitrous oxide sensors.
Approved nitrous oxide sensor-based software updates can be installed on existing engines without being treated as illegal tampering under the Clean Air Act, according to EPA.
Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening and State Directors Warren Cude and Brian Adamek were at the White House for the announcement.
“TFB welcomes the decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to remove Diesel Exhaust Fluid sensor requirements that have caused repeated equipment shutdowns, costly repairs and lost productivity for farmers and ranchers across Texas,” Boening said. “EPA’s action allows manufacturers to eliminate unreliable DEF quality sensors and rely on more dependable emissions monitoring methods, while keeping emissions standards fully in place.”
Since 2010, nearly all on-road diesel trucks, tractors and construction machinery have used DEF as a part of a selection catalytic reduction system to reduce emission of nitrogen oxides, according to EPA.
The systems can force a vehicle or tractor to drastically reduce its speed or become inoperable if a sensor fails or the engine runs out of DEF.
“Texas farmers and ranchers have argued for years they cannot afford to lose critical equipment time because of faulty sensors. From planting and harvesting to feeding livestock and hauling grain, Texas agriculture depends on reliable equipment and narrow weather windows,” Boening said. “DEF sensor failures have forced tractors, combines and trucks into low power ‘limp mode’ or shut them down altogether—often in the middle of the field or on rural roads. This decision recognizes the challenges agriculture faces and puts common sense back into environmental regulation.”
EPA noted the sudden speed losses and shutdowns caused by DEF system failures that compromise safety and productivity are “unacceptable and problematic.”
“Americans are justified in being fed up with failing DEF system issues. EPA understands this is a massive issue and has been doing everything in our statutory power to address this,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said. “Farmers and truckers should not be losing billions of dollars because of repair costs or days lost on the job.”
The Small Business Administration estimates the action will save farmers $4.4 billion a year and provide $13.79 billion a year in savings to Americans.
“For Texas farmers already facing rising fuel, fertilizer and equipment costs, those savings are critical,” Boening said.
A guidance document on the DEF announcement clarifies the guidance is intended to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements and agency policies.
EPA “anticipates the switch will greatly curb errors that traditional sensor technologies have been prone to and reduce the issues Americans face with inaccurate DEF failures,” according to a press release.
Friday’s announcement is just the latest step in EPA’s plan to address DEF failures.
In February, EPA asked 14 major diesel manufacturers to turn over critical data on DEF-system failures to help inform the agency’s next steps.
Since then, 11 manufacturers have turned over data, which EPA says was used to shape the new guidance from EPA on the sensors.
“The preliminary review of the warranty data suggests that DEF sensor failures are a significant source of warranty claims and DEF-related inducement,” an EPA press release said. “Farmers and truck drivers should not have their vehicles stop working because a sensor isn’t working properly.”
Clarifying the sensor-use requirement falls in line with EPA’s guidance on its right-to-repair guidance issued in February.
That action, EPA said, removed a major barrier keeping farmers from fixing their faulty DEF systems in the field.
“EPA anticipates the switch will greatly curb errors that traditional sensor technologies have been prone to and reduce the issues Americans face with inaccurate DEF failures,” EPA noted.
The agency also issued guidance calling on engine and equipment manufacturers to revise DEF system software in existing vehicles and equipment to reverse deratements.
EPA officials say additional action regarding DEF is planned.
The agency will be issuing a new deregulatory proposal completely removing all DEF deratements for new vehicles and engines in the near future.
EPA noted the action does not weaken or remove emission standards.
“Farmers and ranchers care deeply about conservation and air quality. This decision does not roll back environmental protections. It simply allows those protections to be enforced in a way that works with modern agricultural equipment—not against it,” Boening said.
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