FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Thor Stacey, Alaska State Director, thor@thorstaceyassociates.com
Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager, anthony.malandra@nfib.org

JUNEAU, Alaska, March 31, 2026—Chalk one up for the nation’s truckers, farmers, motor coach drivers, and other diesel equipment operators. Last Friday (March 27), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its problematic diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) requirements would be removed on all diesel equipment.

In a news release issued by the agency, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said, “Failing DEF systems are not an east coast or west coast or heartland issue; it is a nationwide disaster. I have heard from truck drivers, farmers, and many others complaining about DEF and pleading for a fix in all 50 states I visited during my first year as EPA Administrator. Americans are justified in being fed up with failing DEF system issues. EPA understands this is a massive issue and has been doing everything in our statutory power to address this. Today, we take another step in furthering our work by removing DEF sensors. Farmers and truckers should not be losing billions of dollars because of repair costs or days lost on the job.”

NFIB was an early supporter of Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan’s legislation aimed at repealing the EPA’s guidelines on diesel emissions. “Current EPA emissions system rules mandate that engines shut down when diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) does not reach certain operating temperatures,” said NFIB principal for Federal Government Affairs Louis Bertolotti in this news release.

“This mandate is intended to reduce emissions. However, DEF freezes at 12 degrees Fahrenheit. In cold weather states like Alaska, where temperatures can fall below 12 degrees for extended periods of time, these rigid rules negatively impact small businesses and consumers. Moreover, an engine shutdown can cause serious harm to farmers or truck drivers who could be left stranded in remote locations in sub-zero temperatures.” More information about the issue can be found in NFIB’s letter of support for Sen. Sullivan’s S3135 sent.

Keep up with the latest Alaska small business news at www.nfib.com. Follow us on X at @NFIB_AK.

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For over 80 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven association. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.

NFIB Alaska
Box 211231
907-723-1494
Juneau, AK 99821
www.nfib.com
X: @NFIB.AK