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EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler published an op-ed in the Des Moines Register today during their trip to Iowa detailing how the Trump administration is addressing concerns caused by Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF). Administrator Zeldin highlighted how the empowers manufacturers to revise their DEF system software to prevent sudden, severe derates and eliminate abrupt shutdowns that create real-world disruptions.Ìý

Reducing derates will save American farmers, truckers, and other diesel equipment operators from costly repairs, increase the amount of time operators have to secure DEF, and protect countless Americans affected by this issue.Ìý

Read what Administrators Zeldin and Loeffler had to :

Diesel engine operators can exhale with EPA’s new DEF guidance

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, working hand in hand with the U.S. Small Business Administration, is providing relief for any farmer whose tractor has suddenly shut down mid-field, or trucker whose 18-wheeler has quickly slowed to a snail’s pace only to stall on the side of a highway. The Trump administration is issuing new guidance for manufacturers of vehicles and equipment that require Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF).Ìý

“StartingÌýin the early 2010s, regulations required all new on-road diesel vehicles — tractors, trucks, buses, ships, locomotives, gas turbines and construction equipment — to install additional technology to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, a byproduct of diesel. Almost all commercial diesel transportation and equipment today has Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology that runs on DEF.Ìý

“The SCR technology has allowed diesel engines to become more efficient while reducing 99% of nitrous oxide emissions — a precursor to ozone — that would otherwise emanate from diesel tailpipes. Clean air is something we want for all Americans and is consistent with Iowa’s conservation priorities.Ìý

“At issue is the burden that equipment operators endure, and days of work lost when the SCR technology sensors, which alert an operator to refuel, fail.Ìý

“What happens when the technology fails? Currently,Ìýyou have just four hoursÌýbefore you can barely operate your vehicle or equipment that ultimately shuts off.Ìý

“So mid-plow, a farmer could be stuck in the middle of an Iowa field, losing daylight, yield and ultimately money until the farmer can tow their equipment back to the machine shed and refuel, which isn’t easy.Ìý

“EPA’s new guidance to engine manufacturers will reduce derating — an automatic trigger forcing the engine to operate at a reduced capacity far below its capability — and increase the amount of time operators have to secure DEF and refuel while retaining the environmental benefits for farm equipment and trucks.Ìý

“Previously, farmers and truckers faced rapid engine slowdown to 5 mph within just four hours of a sensor alert. Under EPA’s new guidance for heavy-duty trucks, for example, after a fault is detected, only a warning light appears for 650 miles or 10 hours. Most significantly, there is no performance impact for at least one workday. Then, the engine only mildly derates, by 15%, but this does not limit speed, allowing trucks to operate normally for up to 4,200 miles or two work weeks. Only after about four work weeks does speed drop to 25 mph until repairs are made. Most operators are expected to fix issues well before reaching this limit. Moving forward for farmers, non-road equipment will see no impact for the first 36 hours before there’s a slight torque reduction.Ìý

“This represents a major step up from the status quo by giving operators significantly more time to address faults before experiencing severe engine or speed limitations, which will improve their ability to complete daily operations and reduce unnecessary downtime….

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