EPA to Address Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Issues for American Farmers and Truckers

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin took another step to further the EPA’s work to address widespread concerns from farmers, truckers, motor coach operators, and other diesel equipment operators regarding Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) system failures. As a follow up to new guidance in August 2025 reversing deratements that were harming farmers and truckers, EPA is pursuing rulemaking opportunities to provide further relief for Americans. To strengthen the agency’s ongoing efforts, EPA is demanding information from major diesel engine manufacturers on critical data from DEF system failures. The data collected will allow EPA to independently evaluate ongoing system failures and help inform next steps the agency takes in 2026 pertaining to DEF.

 

“As I traveled to all 50 states during my first year as EPA Administrator, I heard from truck drivers, farmers, and many others rightly complaining about DEF and pleading for a fix. EPA understands this is a massive issue, which is why we have already established commonsense guidance for manufacturers to update DEF systems,” said EPA Administrator Zeldin. “Today, we are furthering that work and demanding detailed data to hold manufacturers accountable for the continued system failures. The EPA is committed to ending unnecessary frustrations and days lost on the road and in the field for American farmers and truckers.”

 

The issue facing farmers, truck drivers, and equipment operators remains clear to the agency. Sudden speed losses and shutdowns caused by DEF system failures compromise safety and productivity. The EPA’s guidance, which significantly reversed deratements, called on manufacturers to revise DEF system software in existing fleets to prevent these sudden shutdowns and give operators more time to repair faults. EPA recognizes that to improve systems, the product designs and materials for these systems must also be the highest quality possible. With today’s action, EPA is taking another step to address any potential insufficiencies with system parts to better advance future rulemaking and reduce system failures.

 

Under Section 208(a) of the Clean Air Act, EPA is authorized to require manufacturers to provide information needed to assess whether emission control systems are functioning properly and whether manufacturers are meeting their obligations to identify and fix defects. EPA is demanding information from the top 14 on-road and nonroad manufacturers that account for over 80 percent of all products used in DEF systems. Specifically, EPA is requiring data on warranty claims, failure rates, and repair information for Model Years (MY) 2016, 2019 and 2023 emission control products to determine whether ongoing DEF system failures are related to a specific generation of products. Manufacturers will have 30 days to provide the requested information; failure may result in additional inquiries or penalties.

 

The agency is committed to working with manufacturers to ensure practical, durable solutions that simultaneously support emissions reductions and reliable operations. EPA has been meeting with manufacturers to receive updates on their progress in developing improved software in response to EPA’s guidance. The agency has consistently encouraged manufacturers to provide the relief as quickly as possible.

 

EPA is actively working on its proposal for the reconsideration of the 2022 Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle NOx rule. It is being thoroughly assessed whether derates may no longer be necessary for compliance. EPA is committed to keeping the protection of air quality and human health at the forefront of every action the agency takes.

 

 

A new notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) outlines changes that would remove several sections and requirements from the Department of Energy’s regulations for worker safety and health. The regulations, described in 10 Code of Federal Regulations 851, govern contractor activities at DOE sites and include requirements intended to reduce or prevent occupational injuries and illnesses among DOE contractors and their workers. The proposed revisions are in response to a May 2025 executive order by President Trump that calls for the United States to “bring advanced nuclear technologies into domestic production as soon as possible,” according to the Federal Register notice about the NPRM.

 

DOE is proposing to add a new section to 10 CFR 851 for contractors operating under the responsibility of its Office of Nuclear Energy that are involved in the construction and operation of nuclear facilities. The newly proposed section would remove what the NPRM describes as “overly-prescriptive, individualized approval requirements … concerning worker safety and health programs.” The new section would also remove requirements to meet specific editions of consensus standards, including the 2015 edition of ANSI/ASSE Z88.2, American National Standard Practices for Respiratory Protection, and sections 4.3 and E4.3 of the 2012 edition of ANSI Z49.1, Safety in Welding, Cutting and Allied Processes. The Federal Register notice describes these standards as “overly conservative” and states that they “impose unnecessary administrative and operational burdens to contractors.” Additionally, contractors would no longer be required to “have a structured approach to their worker safety and health program” in areas including construction safety and industrial hygiene.

 

Under the proposed changes, appendix A to 10 CFR 851, which currently establishes mandatory requirements regarding worker safety and health “functional areas,” would become nonbinding guidance for contractors operating under Office of Nuclear Energy responsibility. According to DOE, the appendix has caused confusion for contractors because it requires them “to develop sections of a worker safety and health program that are not applicable to their scope of their work.” Appendix A would remain mandatory for other contractors.

 

DOE is accepting comments, data, and information regarding these proposed changes until Feb. 20. For further details, refer to the Federal Register.

 

 

Participants in OSHA’s Safety Champions Program receive assistance in developing and implementing an effective safety and health program, according to the agency’s website. The Safety Champions Program incorporates management leadership, worker participation, hazard identification and assessment, hazard prevention and control, education and training, program evaluation and improvement, and communication and coordination for host employers, contractors, and staffing agencies.

 

The Safety Champions Program is self-guided and includes introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels. Participants may request an assessment of their safety and health program from a “special government employee.”

 

Safety Champions is one of OSHA’s free cooperative programs, which offer opportunities for businesses and other organizations to work with the agency to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. 

 

Employers interested in participating in Safety Champions can register on the OSHA website to receive more information.

 

 

Surface wipe sampling in a school ceramics and visual arts studio found detectable levels of metals on all surfaces tested, according to a health hazard evaluation (HHE) report by NIOSH. Agency staff were invited to the art studio by management of the school, which served children in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Management was concerned about potential exposures to respirable crystalline silica and other hazards. Although NIOSH did not find respirable crystalline silica, dust, or metals in any of the air samples collected, all studio surfaces tested positive for at least one metal on a list that included lead, cadmium, nickel, and other substances. Some positive samples were close to the lower detectable limits of laboratory tests, meaning that NIOSH could not be certain about the quantity of metal present, the report states.

 

Metals such as lead, cadmium, and nickel may be found in art materials like clay, glaze, and paint. Some serve no useful purpose in the body and are toxic to all organs, while others are dangerous only at elevated levels. No occupational exposure limits exist for metals on surfaces, the report explains, but “the presence of metals on surfaces indicated the need to improve cleaning protocols and practice good hand hygiene.” To minimize the presence of metals on surfaces in the art studio, NIOSH recommended a protocol to clean surfaces where clay has been worked with clean, damp cloths, sponges, or paper towels. Limiting upholstered furniture and carpeting in the studio is another way to reduce the accumulation of clay dust.

 

NIOSH staff also identified a range of other hazards and safety issues present in the art studio and issued recommendations to minimize them. For example, ensuring safe storage for classroom materials and art supplies would reduce slip, trip, and fall hazards, permit safe exit in an emergency, and reduce the likelihood of mold and mildew growth. Improving the studio’s ventilation system would help reduce contaminants and potential exposures to staff and students. The report also recommended installing eyewash stations, developing standard procedures for the use of personal protective equipment, and prohibiting students and staff from eating and drinking within the studio.

 

The report may be downloaded as a PDF from NIOSH’s HHE report library.

 

 

More than 46 million workers in six European Union member states are probably exposed to at least one of 24 cancer risk factors, according to the results of a large survey conducted by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). The Workers’ Exposure Survey, or WES, sought information on exposures to industrial chemicals, process-generated substances, mixtures, and physical risk factors and characterized their exposures as low, medium, or high.

 

The survey involved 24,000 phone interviews conducted between September 2022 and February 2023 with workers in Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, and Spain. Researchers asked workers about their exposures over the most recent working week, weighted the data for representativeness, and used web-based software to estimate probabilities. EU-OSHA states that the data represents more than 98 million workers.

 

The most common exposure was to ultraviolet radiation, which affected nearly 21 percent of workers. Other common exposures included diesel engine exhaust, benzene, respirable crystalline silica, and formaldehyde.

 

Approximately 11 percent of workers had high exposures to at least one cancer risk factor, according to the survey results. High exposures were most frequent for respirable crystalline silica, diesel engine exhaust, wood dust, benzene, and formaldehyde. Self-employed and temporary workers typically faced higher exposures to wood dust, ethylene oxide, and asbestos, while female healthcare workers had higher exposures to formaldehyde.

 

More than 26 percent of workers reported exposure to at least two cancer risk factors.

 

Workers in laboratories and the chemical and pharmaceutical industries reported consistent use of controls such as system enclosures, local exhaust ventilation, and personal protective equipment. The survey suggests minimal use of controls in construction and maintenance for tasks involving diesel engine exhaust, benzene, respirable crystalline silica, and asbestos.

 

“Every year, more than 100 000 people in the EU lose their lives to work-related cancer,” said William Cockburn, EU-OSHA’s executive director. “These findings reveal significant gaps in prevention and an urgent need for targeted, evidence-based interventions to protect workers' health and reduce the burden of occupational cancer across Europe.”