The Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it plans to eliminate diesel emissions requirements for farm equipment, arguing the move will reduce costs and mechanical burdens for farmers already grappling with high input prices and economic strain.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the forthcoming rulemaking during a joint press conference with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, saying the agency plans to eliminate diesel exhaust fluid, or DEF, requirements for agricultural equipment after hearing repeated complaints from farmers about equipment failures.
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“We are soon going to be introducing a new proposal, and it will be out there for public comment for farmers across this country to comment on, to completely eliminate diesel exhaust fluid arrangements altogether,” Zeldin said.
Diesel exhaust fluid is used in modern diesel engines to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, a contributor to air pollution. The fluid works with selective catalytic reduction systems installed on many tractors and heavy-duty farm vehicles to comply with federal emissions standards.
Zeldin said farmers across the country repeatedly described tractors shutting down at inopportune times because of emissions systems tied to DEF requirements, sometimes multiple times in a single year during planting or harvest season.
“During our travels last year, I’ll say there’s no issue that we heard more feedback from frustration, anger, than diesel exhaust fluid,” he said.
The EPA requested warranty data from 14 engine manufacturers earlier this year to assess breakdown issues and now has enough information to move forward with rulemaking, he said.
The proposal is part of a broader Trump administration effort to lower costs for farmers, who have faced persistently high fertilizer, fuel, and equipment prices since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and, most recently, due to the Iran war’s disruption of global agricultural markets.
During the press conference, Rollins touted a slate of actions aimed at reducing expenses, including expanding fertilizer production and easing transportation rules.
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Rollins announced plans to fast-track permitting for a proposed $3.7 billion ammonia plant in Louisiana. She said the facility, expected to become the world’s largest ammonia production plant, would boost domestic fertilizer production and reduce reliance on imports at a time of elevated input costs.
The administration has also embraced “right to repair” policies for farm equipment, another long-standing complaint among producers. Zeldin said the Trump administration had already acted to allow farmers to repair machinery themselves or use local mechanics rather than relying on manufacturer-authorized dealers.
