Fuel Retailers Urge EPA to Halt Proposed Changes to DEF Requirements

NATSO, SIGMA, and NACS warn that the EPA’s proposed adjustments to the inducement framework risk creating market confusion and supply instability. Industry leaders contend that the existing guidance has already fostered a robust, competitive network where more than 95 percent of North American truck stops now offer diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). They argue that altering these rules prematurely threatens to drive up consumer prices and discourage driver compliance, ultimately undermining the environmental gains achieved over the last decade.

David Fialkov, Executive Director of Government Affairs for NATSO and SIGMA, emphasized that the current infrastructure is a proven model for targeted innovation. The associations are calling on the agency to allow recent 2025 and 2026 guidance to fully permeate the market before introducing new requirements. Beyond maintaining current standards, the groups are advocating for broader access to low-cost repairs for DEF sensor faults and the retention of existing enforcement mechanisms to ensure engine systems operate at peak efficiency. Matt Durand, NACS Deputy General Counsel, stated that the industry requires regulatory stability to ensure the full benefits of these engine systems are realized without disrupting the daily operations of commercial trucking and agriculture.