[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43417-43419]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20517]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration
[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-99-5867]


Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Exemption 
Applications; Minimum Fuel Tank Fill Rate and Certification Labeling

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of applications for exemptions and intent to grant 
exemptions; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is announcing its preliminary determination to grant 
the applications of the Ford Motor Company (Ford) for exemptions from 
certain fuel tank design and certification labeling requirements in the 
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). The exemptions would 
enable motor carriers to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) 
manufactured by Ford, and equipped with fuel tanks that do not meet the 
FHWA's requirements that fuel tanks be capable of receiving fuel at a 
rate of at least 20 gallons per minute, and be labeled or marked by the 
manufacturer to certify compliance with the design criteria. The FHWA 
believes the terms and conditions of the exemptions being considered 
achieve a level of safety that is equivalent to the level of safety 
that would be achieved by complying with the regulations and requests 
public comment on Ford's applications. The exemption, if granted, would 
preempt inconsistent State and local requirements applicable to 
interstate commerce.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 9, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Submit written, signed comments to FHWA Docket No. FHWA-99-
5867, the Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. All comments received will be 
available for examination at the above address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 
e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Those desiring 
notification of receipt of comments must include a self-addressed, 
stamped envelope or postcard.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Larry W. Minor, Office of Motor 
Carrier Research and Standards, HMCS-10, (202) 366-4009; or Mr. Charles 
E. Medalen, Office of the Chief Counsel, HCC-20, (202) 366-1354, 
Federal Highway Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590-0001. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    Internet users may access all comments that were submitted to the 
Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590-0001, in response to previous rulemaking notices 
concerning the docket referenced at the beginning of this notice by 
using the universal resource locator (URL): 
http://dms.dot.gov. It is available 24 hours each day, 365 days each 
year. Please follow the instructions online for more information and 
help.
    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded using a modem 
and suitable communications software from the Government Printing 
Office's Electronic Bulletin Board Service at (202) 512-1661. Internet 
users may reach the Office of the Federal Register's home page at 
http://www.nara.gov/fedreg and the Government Printing Office's 
database at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.

Background

    On June 9, 1998, the President signed the Transportation Equity Act 
for the 21st Century (TEA-21) (Pub.L. 105-178, 112 Stat. 107). Section 
4007 of TEA-21 amended 49 U.S.C. 31315 and 31136(e) concerning the 
Secretary of Transportation's (the Secretary's) authority to grant 
exemptions from the FMCSRs for a person(s) seeking regulatory relief 
from those requirements. An exemption may be up to two years in 
duration, and may be renewed. The Secretary must provide the public 
with an opportunity to comment on each exemption request prior to 
granting or denying the request.
    The TEA-21 requires the FHWA to publish a notice in the Federal 
Register for each exemption requested, explaining that the request has 
been filed, and providing the public an opportunity to inspect the 
safety analysis and any other relevant information known to the agency, 
and comment on the request. Prior to granting a request for an 
exemption, the agency must publish a notice in the Federal Register 
identifying the person or class of persons who will receive the 
exemption, the provisions from which the person will be exempt, the 
effective period, and all terms and conditions of the exemption. The 
terms and conditions established by the FHWA must ensure that the 
exemption will likely achieve a level of safety that is equivalent to, 
or greater than, the level that would be achieved by complying with the 
regulation.
    On December 8, 1998, the FHWA published an interim final rule 
implementing section 4007 of TEA-21 (63 FR 67600). The regulations (49 
CFR part 381) established the procedures persons must follow to request 
waivers and to apply for exemptions from the FMCSRs, and the procedures 
the FHWA will use to process the requests for waivers and applications 
for exemptions.

Ford's Applications for Exemptions

    Ford applied for exemptions from 49 CFR 393.67(c)(7)(ii), which 
requires that

[[Page 43418]]

certain fuel tank systems on CMVs be designed to permit a fill rate of 
at least 20 gallons (75.7 liters) per minute, and 49 CFR 393.67(f)(2) 
and (f)(3) which require that liquid fuel tanks be marked with the 
manufacturer's name, and a certification that the tank conforms to all 
applicable rules in Sec. 393.67, respectively.
    Ford produces ``Econoline'' incomplete vehicles which are completed 
by second-stage manufacturers for numerous uses, including use as a CMV 
as defined in 49 CFR 390.5. The completed vehicles are based on a 
``light truck'' platform with load-or passenger-carrying capabilities 
that meet or exceed the weight-or passenger-carrying thresholds for the 
applicability of the FMCSRs. Ford indicated it is not possible to 
accurately estimate the number of Econoline-based vehicles that will be 
used as CMVs. Of the 19,000 Econoline-based vehicles produced each 
model year, 13,000 are produced with gasoline fuel configuration, with 
a percentage of these used as CMVs.

Application for Exemption From the Fill Rate Requirement

    Ford Econoline vehicles are equipped with fuel tanks mounted 
between the frame rails and use a fill pipe system routed to minimize 
exposure in the event of a crash. The system is approximately two feet 
long with several bends, which results in additional internal 
resistance to fuel flow. When these design characteristics are combined 
with the vapor generated while filling the tank with gasoline, the 
maximum filling rate does not exceed 17 gallons per minute. Ford 
states:

    It is difficult to address [Sec. 393.67(c)(7)(ii)] as a safety 
requirement. Ford views this portion of Part 393 to be more a 
subject of convenience. With virtually all filling stations using 
the industry standard automatic shut-off nozzles, it is unlikely 
that fuel will be spilled even while using a high flow rate delivery 
system. These standard nozzles substantially reduce any potential 
safety risk introduced by filling an Eonoline vehicle at a rate 
above its capacity of 17 gallons per minute.
    Further, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has 
imposed a 10 gallon per minute limit [40 CFR 80.22(j)] on gasoline 
fuel flow rates at any ``retailer or wholesale purchaser-consumer.'' 
This EPA requirement was effective in part on January 1, 1996 and in 
full on January 1, 1998. As mentioned previously, the Econoline fuel 
fill system can easily accommodate this fill rate.

Ford believes that denial of the exemption application would result in 
motor carriers having to retrofit replacement fuel tanks, which could 
result in undermining the fuel system integrity of the vehicles.

Application for Exemption From the Certification Marking Requirement

    Ford indicated that fuel tanks used on Econoline vehicles are not 
marked in accordance with Sec. 393.67(f). Ford states:

    The marking requirements of [Secs. 393.67(f)(2) and (f)(3)(ii)] 
are only identification requirements and do not contribute to the 
safety of the fuel tank. It acts as a convenient method for [an] 
inspector to verify that the tank has been self-certified by [its] 
manufacturer. The subject tanks are already marked with the month 
and year of manufacture and the Ford production part number 
satisfying the traceability aspect of the marking requirements. The 
remaining certification statement will be added but cannot be fitted 
to all vehicles immediately, hence the need for an exemption. Ford 
Motor Company believes that there is no negative safety effect of 
these vehicles not complying with [Secs. 393.67(f)(2) and 
(f)(3)(ii)].

Basis for Preliminary Determination To Grant Exemptions

    The FHWA has reviewed its fill pipe design requirements and 
believes the fill pipe capacity criterion, when applied to gasoline-
powered vehicles, is inconsistent with the EPA's regulations concerning 
gasoline fuel pumps. While the FHWA requirement may be appropriate for 
diesel fuel-powered commercial motor vehicles, it mandates that fill 
pipes on gasoline-powered vehicles be capable of receiving fuel at a 
rate twice the maximum rate gasoline fuel pumps are designed to 
dispense fuel.
    The EPA requires (40 CFR 80.22) that every retailer and wholesale 
purchaser-consumer must limit each nozzle from which gasoline or 
methanol is introduced into motor vehicles to a maximum fuel flow rate 
not to exceed 10 gallons per minute (37.9 liters per minute). Any 
dispensing pump that is dedicated exclusively to heavy-duty vehicles is 
exempt from the requirement.
    Since the EPA's regulation includes an exemption for dispensing 
pumps used exclusively for refueling heavy-duty vehicles, it is 
possible that some of the gasoline-powered vehicles that would be 
exempted could be refueled at a location (e.g., at a fleet terminal) 
where the dispensing equipment exceeds 10 gallons per minute. However, 
the FHWA does not believe this should present a safety problem because 
the fill pipe design used by Ford is capable of receiving fuel at a 
rate of 17 gallons per minute. The 17-gallon-per-minute rate is only 15 
percent less than the requirement in Sec. 393.65. The agency believes 
the 17-gallon-per-minute rate will achieve a level of safety that is 
equivalent to the level of safety that would be obtained by complying 
with Sec. 393.67(c)(7)(ii). Gasoline fuel pumps that are dedicated for 
heavy-duty trucks and buses may dispense fuel at a rate in excess of 10 
gallons per minute, but the FHWA does not believe the rate would exceed 
17 gallons per minute. The agency requests comments on this issue.
    In addition to considering the regulatory inconsistencies between 
the FHWA and EPA requirements, the FHWA reviewed available information 
on the origin of the rule concerning fill pipes. The FHWA's 20-gallon 
per minute rate in Sec. 393.67(c)(7)(ii) is based on the Society of 
Automotive Engineers' (SAE) recommended practice ``Side Mounted 
Gasoline Tanks'' as revised in 1949. The SAE later published fuel tank 
manufacturing practices in SAE J703, ``Fuel Systems,'' an information 
report which consisted of the former Interstate Commerce Commission's 
requirements for fuel systems and tanks (codified at 49 CFR 193.65 in 
the 1953 edition of the Code of Federal Regulations). The information 
report retained the 20-gallon-per-minute rate. The SAE currently covers 
this subject under recommended practice SAE J703 ``Fuel Systems--Truck 
and Truck Tractors.'' The 1995 version of the recommended practice 
continues to use the 20-gallon-per-minute criterion for fill pipes.
    The FHWA does not have technical documentation explaining the 
rationale for the SAE's original use of the 20-gallon-per-minute rate 
in 1949 and believes the adoption of the criterion in Federal 
regulations may have resulted in its continued use in the current SAE 
recommended practice which references Secs. 393.65 and 393.67. As 
stated by the SAE, ``[t]he intent of this document is not only to 
clarify the procedures and reflect the best currently known practices, 
but also to prescribe requirements * * * that meet or exceed all 
corresonding performance requirements of FMCSR 393.65 and 393.67 that 
were in effect at the time of issue.''
    The FHWA believes the current requirement may need to be 
reconsidered in light of the EPA requirements. While the FHWA reviews 
this issue, motor carriers should not be penalized for operating 
vehicles with non-compliant fill pipes that they had no practical means 
of identifying. The agency has made a preliminary determination that it 
is appropriate to grant an exemption to Sec. 393.67(c)(7)(ii) for 
interstate motor carriers operating Ford Econoline vehicles and 
requests public comment on Ford's application.

[[Page 43419]]

    With regard to Ford's application for an exemption to the fuel tank 
marking and certification requirements (Secs. 393.67(f)(2) and 
(f)(3)(ii)), the FHWA agrees with Ford that there is no readily 
apparent adverse impact on safety associated with the absence of the 
required markings. Although the FHWA considers marking and 
certification important for helping enforcement officials and motor 
carriers quickly distinguish between fuel tanks that are certified as 
meeting the FHWA's requirements and those that are not, the FHWA does 
not believe the operators of the Ford Econoline vehicles should be 
penalized because the fuel tanks are not marked and certified in 
accordance with Sec. 393.67.
    The absence of certification labeling resulted in certain State 
enforcement officials prohibiting the operation of small buses built on 
Ford Econoline platforms. The State officials and motor carriers 
operating those vehicles discussed the issue with Ford and requested 
assistance in determining whether the fuel tanks met the requirements 
of Sec. 393.67. Prior to notification from State enforcement officials 
and motor carriers, Ford was unaware that customers subject to the 
FMCSRs are required to have fuel tanks that meet the FHWA's 
requirements, including marking. As a vehicle manufacturer, Ford is 
fully aware of all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 
issued and enforced by the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, the agency in the U.S. Department of Transportation 
responsible for regulating motor vehicle and equipment manufacturers. 
Ford is less familiar with the equipment requirements of the FHWA, the 
agency responsible for regulating motor carriers.
    Ford has met with FHWA staff to discuss the agency's requirements 
and conducted certain tests to determine whether its fuel tanks satisfy 
Sec. 393.67. It was determined that the tanks do not meet the fill pipe 
requirements, and do not have the necessary certification. An exemption 
to the certification is needed because Ford cannot misrepresent its 
product by certifying compliance with all applicable provisions in 
Sec. 393.67 while its fill pipe designs allow only 17 gallons of 
gasoline fuel per minute to flow into the fuel tank. The agency 
believes granting exemptions for the affected motor carriers is the 
most effective way to resolve the problem while ensuring highway 
safety.

Terms and Conditions for the Exemption

    The FHWA would provide exemptions to Secs. 393.67(c)(7)(ii), 
393.67(f)(2), and 393.67(f)(3)(ii) for motor carriers operating Ford 
Econoline-based vehicles. The exemption would be valid for two years 
from the date of approval, unless revoked earlier by the FHWA. Ford, or 
any of the affected motor carriers, may apply to the FHWA for a 
renewal. The exemption would preempt inconsistent State or local 
requirements applicable to interstate commerce.
    The motor carriers operating these vehicles would not be required 
to maintain documentation concerning the exemption because the vehicles 
and fuel tanks have markings that would enable enforcement officials to 
identify them. The vehicles covered by the exemptions can be identified 
by their vehicle identification numbers (VINs). The VINs contain E30, 
E37, E39, E40, or E47 codes in the fifth, sixth, and seventh positions. 
The fuel tanks are marked with Ford part numbers F3UA-9002-G*, F3UA-
9002-H*, F4UA-9002-V*, F4UA-9002-X*, F5UA-9002-V*, F5UA-9002-X*, F6UA-
9002-Y*, F6UA-9002-Z*, F7UA-9002-C*, and F7UA-9002D* where the asterisk 
(*) represents a ``wild card'' character (any character of the 
alphabet). The FHWA believes this information is sufficient and 
requests public comment.

Request for Comments

    In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315 and 31136(e), the FHWA is 
requesting public comment from all interested persons on the exemption 
applications from Ford. All comments received before the close of 
business on the comment closing date indicated at the beginning of this 
notice will be considered and will be available for examination in the 
docket at the location listed under the address section of this notice. 
Comments received after the comment closing date will be filed in the 
public docket and will be considered to the extent practicable, but the 
FHWA may grant the exemptions at any time after the close of the 
comment period. In addition to late comments, the FHWA will also 
continue to file, in the public docket, relevant information that 
becomes available after the comment closing date. Interested persons 
should continue to examine the public docket for new material.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 31136 and 31315; and 49 CFR 1.48.

    Issued on: August 2, 1999.
Kenneth R. Wykle,
Federal Highway Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-20517 Filed 8-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P