[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 126 (Monday, June 30, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36954-36956]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14763]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
[Docket No. FMCSA-99-6156, FMCSA-99-6480, FMCSA-00-7006, FMCSA-01-
10578, FMCSA-02-11714, FMCSA-02-13411, FMCSA-03-16241, FMCSA-03-16564,
FMCSA-04-17195, FMCSA-05-21711, FMCSA-05-22194, FMCSA-05-23099, FMCSA-
05-23238, FMCSA-06-23773, FMCSA-06-24015, FMCSA-06-24783]
Qualification of Drivers; Exemption Applications; Vision
AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of renewal of exemptions; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: FMCSA announces its decision to renew the exemptions from the
vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for
58 individuals. FMCSA has statutory authority to exempt individuals
from the vision requirement if the exemptions granted will not
compromise safety. The Agency has concluded that granting these
exemption renewals will provide a level of safety that is equivalent
to, or greater than, the level of safety maintained without the
exemptions for these commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.
DATES: This decision is effective July 20, 2008. Comments must be
received on or before July 30, 2008.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments bearing the Federal Docket
Management System (FDMS) Docket ID FMCSA-99-6156, FMCSA-99-6480, FMCSA-
00-7006, FMCSA-01-10578, FMCSA-02-11714, FMCSA-02-13411, FMCSA-03-
16241, FMCSA-03-16564, FMCSA-04-17195, FMCSA-05-21711, FMCSA-05-22194,
FMCSA-05-23099, FMCSA-05-23238, FMCSA-06-23773, FMCSA-06-24015, FMCSA-
06-24783, using any of the following methods.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions for submitting
comments.
Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building Ground
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m.
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
Each submission must include the Agency name and the docket number
for this Notice. Note that DOT posts all comments received without
change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal
information included in a comment. Please see the Privacy Act heading
below.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments, go to http://www.regulations.gov at any time or Room W12-140
on the ground level of the West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.,
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. The FDMS is available 24 hours each day, 365
days each year.
If you want acknowledgment that we received your comments, please
include a self-addressed, stamped envelope or postcard or print the
acknowledgement page that appears after submitting comments on-line.
Privacy Act: Anyone may search the electronic form of all comments
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or of the person signing the comment, if
submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.).
You may review the DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal
Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19476). This information is
also available at http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Mary D. Gunnels, Director, Medical
Programs, (202)-366-4001,
[[Page 36955]]
[email protected], FMCSA, Department of Transportation, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue, SE., Room W64-224, Washington, DC 20590-0001. Office
hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Under 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315, FMCSA may renew an exemption
from the vision requirements in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10), which applies to
drivers of CMVs in interstate commerce, for a two-year period if it
finds ``such exemption would likely achieve a level of safety that is
equivalent to, or greater than, the level that would be achieved absent
such exemption.'' The procedures for requesting an exemption (including
renewals) are set out in 49 CFR part 381.
Exemption Decision
This notice addresses 58 individuals who have requested a renewal
of their exemption in accordance with FMCSA procedures. FMCSA has
evaluated these 58 applications for renewal on their merits and decided
to extend each exemption for a renewable two-year period. They are:
Jawad K. Al-Shaibani
Harold J. Bartley, Jr.
Kenneth J. Bernard
Allen G. Bors
Brad T. Braegger
Michael C. Branham
John E. Breslin
Trixie L. Brown
Raymond L. Brush
Marcus S. Burkholder
Scott F. Chalfant
Leroy A. Chambers
Harvis P. Cosby
Rodney D. Curtis
Norman J. Day
Michael D. DeBerry
Francisco Espinal
William L. Foote
Spencer N. Haugen
Victor B. Hawks
Edward J. Hess, Jr.
William G. Hix
Ralph Holmes
Bruce A. Homan
Timothy B. Hummel
Fredrick C. Ingles
Larry L. Jarvis
Michael S. Johannsen
Charles Johnston
Harry L. Jones
Mearl C. Kennedy
Patrick E. Martin
Bennet G. Maruska
Leland K. McAlhaney
Bobby G. Minton
William C. Mohr, Sr.
Charles J. Morman
Charles R. Murphy
Larry A. Nienhuis
Corey L. Paraf
Kenneth R. Piechnik
John J. Pribanic
Ronald M. Price
John P. Raftis
Bruce G. Robinson
Scott D. Russell
Alton M. Rutherford
Richard A. Schneider
Charles L. Schnell
Andrew W. Schollett
Joseph B. Shaw, Jr.
Wolfgang V. Spekis
Sandra J. Sperling
Ryan K. Steelman
Robert L. Swartz, Jr.
Charles V. Tracey
Duane L. Tysseling
Leonard R. Wilson
These exemptions are extended subject to the following conditions:
(1) That each individual have a physical examination every year (a) by
an ophthalmologist or optometrist who attests that the vision in the
better eye continues to meet the standard in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10), and
(b) by a medical examiner who attests that the individual is otherwise
physically qualified under 49 CFR 391.41; (2) that each individual
provide a copy of the ophthalmologist's or optometrist's report to the
medical examiner at the time of the annual medical examination; and (3)
that each individual provide a copy of the annual medical certification
to the employer for retention in the driver's qualification file and
retain a copy of the certification on his/her person while driving for
presentation to a duly authorized Federal, State, or local enforcement
official. Each exemption will be valid for two years unless rescinded
earlier by FMCSA. The exemption will be rescinded if: (1) The person
fails to comply with the terms and conditions of the exemption; (2) the
exemption has resulted in a lower level of safety than was maintained
before it was granted; or (3) continuation of the exemption would not
be consistent with the goals and objectives of 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and
31315.
Basis for Renewing Exemptions
Under 49 U.S.C. 31315(b)(1), an exemption may be granted for no
longer than two years from its approval date and may be renewed upon
application for additional two year periods. In accordance with 49
U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315, each of the 58 applicants has satisfied the
entry conditions for obtaining an exemption from the vision
requirements (64 FR 54948; 65 FR 159; 67 FR 10475; 69 FR 8260; 71 FR
19604; 71 FR 6824; 64 FR 68195; 65 FR 20251; 67 FR 38311; 69 FR 26921;
71 FR 27033; 66 FR 53826; 66 FR 66966; 68 FR 69434; 70 FR 74102; 65 FR
20245; 67 FR 15662; 67 FR 37907; 69 FR 26206; 71 FR 26601; 67 FR 76439;
68 FR 10298; 71 FR 16410; 68 FR 61857; 68 FR 75715; 71 FR 646; 68 FR
74699; 69 FR 10503; 71 FR 6829; 69 FR 17263; 69 FR 31447; 70 FR 48797;
70 FR 61493; 70 FR 57353; 70 FR 72689; 71 FR 4194; 71 FR 13450; 71 FR
5105; 71 FR 19600; 71 FR 6826; 71 FR 19602; 71 FR 14566; 71 FR 30227;
71 FR 32183; 71 FR 41310). Each of these 58 applicants has requested
renewal of the exemption and has submitted evidence showing that the
vision in the better eye continues to meet the standard specified at 49
CFR 391.41(b)(10) and that the vision impairment is stable. In
addition, a review of each record of safety while driving with the
respective vision deficiencies over the past two years indicates each
applicant continues to meet the vision exemption standards. These
factors provide an adequate basis for predicting each driver's ability
to continue to drive safely in interstate commerce. Therefore, FMCSA
concludes that extending the exemption for each renewal applicant for a
period of two years is likely to achieve a level of safety equal to
that existing without the exemption.
Request for Comments
FMCSA will review comments received at any time concerning a
particular driver's safety record and determine if the continuation of
the exemption is consistent with the requirements at 49 U.S.C. 31136(e)
and 31315. However, FMCSA requests that interested parties with
specific data concerning the safety records of these drivers submit
comments by July 30, 2008.
FMCSA believes that the requirements for a renewal of an exemption
under 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315 can be satisfied by initially
granting the renewal and then requesting and evaluating, if needed,
subsequent comments submitted by interested parties. As indicated
above, the Agency previously published notices of final disposition
announcing its decision to exempt these 58 individuals from the vision
requirement in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10). The final decision to grant an
exemption to each of these individuals was based on the merits of each
case and only after careful consideration of the comments received to
its notices of applications. The notices of applications stated in
detail the qualifications, experience, and medical condition of each
applicant
[[Page 36956]]
for an exemption from the vision requirements. That information is
available by consulting the above cited Federal Register publications.
Interested parties or organizations possessing information that
would otherwise show that any, or all of these drivers, are not
currently achieving the statutory level of safety should immediately
notify FMCSA.
The Agency will evaluate any adverse evidence submitted and, if
safety is being compromised or if continuation of the exemption would
not be consistent with the goals and objectives of 49 U.S.C. 31136(e)
and 31315, FMCSA will take immediate steps to revoke the exemption of a
driver.
Issued on: June 19, 2008.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy and Program Development.
[FR Doc. E8-14763 Filed 6-27-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P