Texas Farm Bureau welcomes EPA decision to remove Diesel Exhaust Fluid sensors

The following statement may be attributed to Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening following today’s decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to remove Diesel Exhaust Fluid sensor requirements.

“TFB welcomes the decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to remove Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) sensor requirements that have caused repeated equipment shutdowns, costly repairs and lost productivity for farmers and ranchers across Texas. 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.

“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. 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.

“The change will save farmers billions of dollars annually by reducing repair expenses, towing costs and lost field time. For Texas farmers already facing rising fuel, fertilizer and equipment costs, those savings are critical.

“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.”