Latest news with #agriculturalworkers
The Drive
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
EPA Tells Truck Makers to Stop Forcing Limp Mode for Low DEF
The latest car news, reviews, and features. The United States Environmental Protection Agency is on a roll when it comes to undoing past regulations and directives. Now, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is urging truck and engine manufacturers to do away with forced speed and power losses due to low diesel exhaust fluid levels. In his announcement at the Iowa State Fair, a key event humming with agricultural workers who have long voiced their negative opinions of modern diesel emissions systems, Zeldin called the software-imposed restrictions 'unacceptable' and 'unnecessary.' There certainly would have been a time when such a move was surprising for the EPA, but the Trump Administration is conducting an about-face from its predecessors on environmental matters. It was Zeldin who, less than two weeks ago, announced the agency's intentions to stop regulating greenhouse gas emissions. He claimed that as a victory for industry, while this latest decision aims to champion everyday drivers and equipment operators. 'We have heard loud and clear from small businesses across the United States that the current DEF system is unacceptable. It is unacceptable that farmers, truckers, construction workers, and many other small businesses continually experience failures of diesel-powered equipment when they need it most—costing millions of dollars in lost productivity,' Zeldin insisted. 'Today, we are responding to those concerns by calling on manufacturers to take action to update their software and eliminate the unnecessary sudden loss of power and frustrating shutdowns that too many Americans have experienced.' To explain it quickly, in case you aren't familiar: Most modern diesel engines rely on DEF for a process called selective catalyst reduction (or SCR). This fluid, which is a solution made from urea and deionized water, is injected into the exhaust stream to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. It's used in everything from heavy-duty pickup trucks to semis, tractors, excavators, and so on. DEF is sold in stores as well as at the pump at some fuel stations. Blue DEF While DEF serves the clear purpose of improving emissions, many people malign it and everything that comes with it. The federal government estimates that hundreds of thousands of drivers have removed their trucks' emissions equipment altogether to avoid using DEF, citing performance and reliability concerns. Such modifications have been the cause of major fines and penalties dished out to diesel aftermarket companies in recent years. For their part, manufacturers have made DEF a non-negotiable part of engine operation to meet restrictions put in place by past versions of the EPA. Even though DEF-related 'limp mode' was never mandated by the federal government, companies use the method to prevent people from running their vehicles and equipment without the solution. The EPA says diesel pickups are typically capped at 45 miles per hour once they've reached critically low DEF levels. New EPA requirements taking effect in model-year 2027 state that new diesel trucks for road use cannot be engineered to force sudden and severe power loss after running out of DEF. Additionally, the EPA says it's issuing new guidance that was 'developed in collaboration with manufacturers' to make the necessary software changes for vehicles already in use. It's a sweeping move, then, applying to both used and new trucks. Caleb Jacobs What's arguably most relevant to this announcement is that nothing will stop drivers or operators from running without DEF altogether. If their vehicle or machine's performance isn't limited when levels run low, many are unlikely to refill it at all. Some will see that as a win, while others will view it as a major loss. The Drive has reached out to Ford, General Motors, and Ram for comment. I'll update this story when or if they respond. Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@
CBS News
5 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Napa launches rental aid program as federal housing cuts threaten families
Esmerelda Gill and her team at Puertas Abiertas, a longstanding nonprofit serving the Latino community in Napa Valley, see the daily needs of low-income residents looking for help. "If they don't have housing, they don't have a lot of food security or health security, so there's a lot of need for there to be assistance, especially for agricultural workers," Gill said. She said that federal, county, and city grants can often be the difference in a family staying housed or ending up on the streets. It's a critical time for many who work in agriculture and impact Napa's economy. "Harvest is coming up. If they don't feel safe or secure, then there's a lot of different effects it can have on our community," Gill said. Molly Rattigan is the deputy city manager of Napa who oversees its housing division. In response to recent federal cuts to emergency housing vouchers, the Napa City Council and housing authority approved a new rental assistance program using up to $250,000 a year from local housing dollars to help up to 15 households. "What we're trying to do is create a stopgap while we look for longer-term solutions, while we maintain households in their existing housing," Rattigan said. She says the city has implemented programs using federal dollars and has seen its homeless rate in the last two years drop by almost 36%. "As some federal programs are coming to an end and federal regulations are changing, these regulations and changes put these households at risk," Rattigan said. The city says 49 Napa households rely on the emergency vouchers that are ending, and that 18 additional families depend on other programs at risk. Housing advocates like Gill are deeply concerned. "If there's more cuts, then more families are going to be without housing, it's going to cause more issues and strain on their emotional and mental well-being. If they have kids, it causes another level of concern too," Gill said. The city says the new program will help families that are already receiving aid and are about to lose it, but not new applicants.
CBS News
18-07-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Lightning strikes kill 33 people in a week as India's monsoon season brings powerful storms
New Delhi — At least 33 people were killed and dozens injured by lightning strikes in the eastern Indian state of Bihar this week, officials said Friday. The deaths occurred as powerful storms and monsoon rains battered the state. Most of the deaths were reported on Wednesday and Thursday, when intense storms hit at least 10 districts in Bihar. Most of the victims were agricultural workers, including an elderly man killed by a lightning strike in the Nalanda district while he was out with grazing cattle. Two women were seriously injured in the same place and were being treated for burns. The state government has urged residents to take precautions, including remaining indoors during bad weather. Nitish Kumar, Bihar's Chief Minister, announced government compensation of 4 million Indian rupees (about $4,600) for the families of those killed. The storms and lightning are likely to continue, as monsoon rains are expected to continue for weeks in the region. India's Meteorological Department has predicted light to heavy rainfall in most parts of the southern and northeastern parts of Bihar until at least July 24. Lightning strikes are common during monsoon season in north and eastern India. More than 2,500 people in India are struck by lightning every year, according to government data. In Bihar alone, at least 243 people were killed by lightning strikes last year, and 275 died in 2023. In November 2023, lightning strikes during unseasonal rainfall killed 24 people in the western Indian state of Gujarat. A typical lightning strike packs around 300 million volts of electricity, which is capable of causing instant death or severe burn injuries. Scientists say climate change is leading to increased lightning activity and more intense storms. Rising land and sea surface temperatures mean there is more heat energy to fuel the thunderstorms that causes lightning. A study by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, said lightning strikes in the U.S. could increase by 12% for every degree Celsius rise in average temperature. One person was killed and over a dozen others were injured after being struck by lightning in Jackson Township, New Jersey on Wednesday. India's east and northeast region is also prone to annual flooding that has killed dozens of people and displace hundreds of thousands during monsoon season. The seasonal rains wreaked havoc in southern India last year, too. In July 2024, massive landslides sparked by monsoon rains killed at least 158 people in the southern state of Kerala.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Mills signs minimum wage for Maine agriculture workers into law
Jun. 10—Gov. Janet Mills on Tuesday signed a bill into law that requires agricultural workers be paid at least the state minimum wage. The proposal, sponsored by Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, is similar to one proposed last year by Gov. Janet Mills. That effort fell short after lawmakers passed an amended version of the bill and Mills vetoed it. Under existing law, Maine farmhands can earn as little as $7.25 an hour. That is the federal minimum wage, which has not been raised since 2009. Once the new law takes effect, farmhands must earn at least the state minimum wage, which is currently $14.65 an hour and increases automatically with inflation. Advocates, who have been advocating for the bill for years, celebrated the signing in a news release. Talbot Ross said in a written statement that the signing of the bill is a "long overdue step towards justice" and corrects "a legacy of exclusion rooted in racism that denied protections to Black, Brown, Latino, and Indigenous laborers." "Today, Maine made history," Talbot Ross said. "This moment belongs to the workers who have spoken out for years — often unheard and unseen — demanding the most basic rights and dignity. Today, we say to them: We see you. We value your work. You belong fully under Maine law." Heather Spalding, deputy director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, said her organization is "thrilled that Maine is taking this step toward social justice and correcting an error on the law books." "This is a bare-bones policy to protect the people who carry out physically demanding tasks, for long hours in all kinds of weather to ensure that we have food on our tables," Spalding said. Republicans largely opposed the bill, warning that it could put farms out of business and jeopardize piecework, where workers get paid by the amount of crops they harvest as opposed to hourly wages. The bill mirrors a proposal put forward by a diverse working group assembled by Mills during the last legislative session. That bill was amended in committee to allow aggrieved farmworkers to sue over alleged violations. It passed both chambers, but was vetoed by Mills. The new law will take effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns. Copy the Story Link
CBC
09-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Union says lawsuit over federal pesticide safety rules aims to protect agricultural workers
Social Sharing A union representing agricultural workers across the country says the information workers get when handling pesticides is insufficient. It is suing the federal government with the aim of forcing it to enforce rules, it says, already exist. "It's high time for the federal government to do what it's already committed to do and that's what this case is about," Derek Johnstone of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) said. "It's also another opportunity for us as Canadians to look at something as basic a food worker knowing what he or she or they are handling and not having that information, so how did we get here?" The union held an information session about safety sheets in Leamington, Ont., on Sunday. Thousands of workers come from countries such as Mexico and Guatemala to work in greenhouses in the southwestern Ontario community each year. The UFCW launched its lawsuit against the federal government in federal court last week. It argues that safety information including "material safety data sheets" are a condition of registering pest control products and that those sheets must be provided to workplaces that use the products. The application by the union states that the government has taken the "unreasonable position that the provision of material safety data sheets to workplaces is voluntary" and that by not enforcing the requirement, it is failing to protect agricultural workers. "It's unfortunate that the government has taken to using the term voluntary when it comes to providing basic information about chemicals and pesticides that workers handle," Johnstone said. "This is not a choice. This is not a recommendation by government. This is a right enshrined in health and safety law. The right to know is the first step when it comes to a worker's health and safety rights." Health Canada refused comment to the CBC on the lawsuit, citing pending litigation. Sean O'Shea of Ecojustice, an environmental law charity whose lawyers are listed on the application, says data sheets provide information about possible risks of pest control products and protective measures one should take when using them. "It might require you to wear (personal protective equipment) to discard of any clothes you're wearing before you return to your home," he said. "It might say that it shouldn't be mixed with another chemical or another pesticide because it's not just the use of one pesticide. The problem is the use of several pesticides can have cumulative effects when chemicals are mixed together."
