[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 187 (Thursday, September 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54971-54972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-19108]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-01-9561, FMCSA-03-15268, FMCSA-05-21711]


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 
25 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 October 24, 2007. Comments must be 
received on or before October 29, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments bearing the Department of 
Transportation (DOT) Docket Management System (DMS) Docket Numbers 
FMCSA-01-9561, FMCSA-03-15268, FMCSA-05-21711, using any of the 
following methods.
     DOT Web site: http://dmses.dot.gov. Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     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: 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.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    Each submission must include the Agency name and docket numbers for 
this Notice. Note that DOT posts all comments received without change 
to http://dms.dot.gov, including any personal information included. 
Please see the Privacy Act heading below.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments, go to http://dms.dot.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 DMS 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 acknowledgment 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 Department of Transportation's complete Privacy Act 
Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 
19477; Apr. 11, 2000). This information is also available at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Mary D. Gunnels, Chief, Physical 
Qualifications Division, (202)-366-4001, [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 25 individuals who have requested a renewal 
of their exemption in accordance with FMCSA procedures. FMCSA has 
evaluated these 25 applications for renewal on their merits and decided 
to extend each exemption for a renewable two-year period. They are

Calvin D. Atwood
Gregory W. Babington
William P. Doolittle
Jonathan M. Gentry
John N. Guilford
Benny D. Hatton, Jr.
Robert W. Healey, Jr.
Nathaniel H. Herbert, Jr.
Thomas D. Lambert
Thomas W. Markham
Raul Martinez
Joseph L. Mast
David McKinney
Kevin L. Moody
Charles W. Mullenix
Gary S. Partridge
Nathan D. Peterson
John N. Poland
Brent L. Seaux
Steven R. Smith
James T. Smith
Edd J. Stabler, Jr.
Gary M. Wolff
John C. Young
George R. Zenor

    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

[[Page 54972]]

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 25 applicants 
has satisfied the entry conditions for obtaining an exemption from the 
vision requirements (66 FR 30502; 66 FR 41654; 68 FR 44837; 70 FR 
41811; 68 FR 54775; 70 FR 53412; 68 FR 37197; 68 FR 48989; 70 FR 42615; 
70 FR 48797; 70 FR 61493). Each of these 25 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 October 29, 2007.
    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 25 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 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: September 21, 2007.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy and Program Development.
 [FR Doc. E7-19108 Filed 9-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P