A coalition of fuel retail associations is asking the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider proposed changes to the inducement framework governing diesel exhaust fluid, the additive used by most heavy duty trucks to meet emissions standards.
NATSO, which represents truck stops and travel centers, SIGMA, which represents fuel marketers, and the National Association of Convenience Stores said in a joint statement that they support the existing federal guidance addressing Selective Catalytic Reduction technology in commercial vehicles. The groups said nitrogen oxide emissions from heavy duty vehicles have declined 76 percent since 2010 as a result of the technology paired with diesel exhaust fluid.
More than 100,000 retail fuel locations across North America carry diesel exhaust fluid, including more than 95 percent of truck stops in the country, according to the associations. They asked the EPA to allow existing 2025 and 2026 guidance to fully take effect before making further changes to inducement requirements, to clearly communicate that Selective Catalytic Reduction and diesel exhaust fluid requirements remain active, and to expand access to lower cost repairs for the sensor faults that commonly affect the systems.
The associations also recommended that the EPA keep engine derates in place as a compliance backstop, maintain the current 32.5 percent quality reference concentration for diesel exhaust fluid, and remove a provision that would suspend inducements during cold weather. The groups said that if drivers come to view the additive as optional, reduced demand could shrink the competitive supply network retailers have built, raising costs for drivers who remain in compliance.
Source: TheTrucker.com - https://www.thetrucker.com/trucking-news/equipment-tech/fuel-retailers-urge-epa-to-safeguard-emissions-reductions-achievements