Farmers and repair shops are allowed to temporarily override emission control systems for repair purposes, according to guidance issued by the Environmental Protection Agency Monday. 

The guidance says using procedures and tools to temporarily take products "out of certified configuration as necessary to perform maintenance and repair" are not prohibited under the Clean Air Act.

While the guidance follows existing language under Clean Air Act regulations, it represents the Trump administration's foray into a debate over "right to repair" that has taken place in the farm community in recent years. 

An EPA press release asserts that "for years, prominent equipment manufacturers have interpreted the CAA’s emission control anti-tampering provisions as preventing them from making essential repair tools available to all Americans." This, in turn, has "forced farmers to take their equipment exclusively to manufacturer-authorized dealers to be fixed, even though the repair could have been made in the field or at a nearby independent repair shop," it argues.

"Not only has this made repairs more costly, but it has also caused many farmers to opt for older agricultural equipment that lack modern emission controls simply because they can fix that equipment themselves," the release says.

The new guidance was issued as a response to a letter farm equipment giant John Deere sent to EPA last June, which sought approval "to allow customers and independent repair technicians access to the previously-restricted capability of inducement override" as the company develops future service solutions.

John Deere "sought this updated guidance from the EPA with the intent to further increase customers’ and independent repair technicians’ repair capabilities while ensuring compliance with EPA requirements and guidance," according to a statement provided by Deere spokesperson Miles Chiotti. The statement said Deere appreciates the action from EPA. 

"John Deere's request to the EPA is consistent with the company’s longstanding commitment to supporting customer choice on how equipment is repaired — whether through their trusted John Deere dealer, with a local service provider, or by doing the work themselves," the statement said. 

Deere has rolled out for-purchase tools intended to help accommodate some third-party access to equipment. Most recently, it launched an Operations Center PRO service, a digital tool for diagnosing machine problems and reprogramming software.

The Deere statement said that "in light of the updated guidance, the temporary inducement override capability will soon be made available to John Deere customers" through Operations Center PRO. 

The new guidance, according to the release, states that "temporary overrides of emission control systems are allowed when it is for the 'purpose of repair' to that equipment to obtain proper functionality." It applies to all nonroad diesel engines equipped with advanced emission control technologies, the release says. 

"Today's right to repair guidance will allow farmers to be able to fix broken death systems right there at home or in the fields, saving them time and money," EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said on a press call Monday. "There will be no more misinterpretations or claiming of not knowing the rules by manufacturers."

This is not the first time an EPA official has weighed in on the subject. Michael Regan, who served as EPA administrator under President Joe Biden, wrote in a letter to National Farmers Union President Rob Larew in 2023 that “nothing in the Clean Air Act or the EPA’s regulations limits a manufacturer’s ability to provide service tools and information to consumers and independent repair facilities for the purpose of repairing their equipment.”

For more news, go to Agri-Pulse.com.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information.