[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 170 (Thursday, September 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54530-54531]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22316]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-1998-4334; FMCSA-2003-14504; FMCSA-2005-20560; FMCSA-
2007-27897; FMCSA-2009-0121]


Qualification of Drivers; Exemption Applications; Vision

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of renewal of exemptions; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: FMCSA announces its decision to renew the exemptions from the 
vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 
32 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 September 13, 2011. Comments must be 
received on or before October 3, 2011.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments bearing the Federal Docket 
Management System (FDMS) numbers: FMCSA-1998-4334; FMCSA-2003-14504; 
FMCSA-2005-20560; FMCSA-2007-27897; FMCSA-2009-0121, 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.
    Instructions: 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 Federal Docket Management System (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 DOT's Privacy Act Statement for the FDMS published in 
the Federal Register on January 17, 2008 (73 FR 3316), or you may visit 
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-785.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elaine M. Papp, Chief, Medical 
Programs, 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 32 individuals who have requested renewal of 
their exemptions in accordance with FMCSA procedures. FMCSA has 
evaluated these 32 applications for renewal on their merits and decided 
to extend each exemption for a renewable two-year period. They are the 
following:

Daniel F. Albers
John A. Bridges
Eddie M. Brown
Edwin L. Bupp
Clifford D. Carpenter
Duane C. Conway
Brian W. Curtis
Roger D. Davidson, Sr.
Robin C. Duckett
Marco A. Esquivel
Tomie L. Estes
Raymond L. Herman
Jesse R. Hillhouse, Jr.
Billy R. Holdman
Ray C. Johnson
Terry R. Jones
Randall H. Keil
James J. Mitchell
Andrew M. Nurnberg
Kenneth R. Pedersen
Joshua R. Perkins
Eligio M. Ramirez
Victor C. Richert
Craig R. Saari
Jerry L. Schroder
Gerald J. Shamla
William C. Smith
Larry D. Steiner
Scott C. Teich
Anthony T. Truiolo
Gregory A. VanLue
Kevin W. Wunderlin

    The exemptions are extended subject to the following conditions: 
(1) That each individual has 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 
provides 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 
retains 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

[[Page 54531]]

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 32 applicants has satisfied the 
entry conditions for obtaining an exemption from the vision 
requirements (63 FR 66226; 64 FR 16517; 66 FR 41656; 68 FR 19598; 68 FR 
33570; 68 FR 44837; 70 FR 17504; 70 FR 25878; 70 FR 30997; 70 FR 41811; 
72 FR 27624; 72 FR 28093; 72 FR 39879; 72 FR 40362; 72 FR 52419; 74 FR 
20523; 74 FR 26461; 74 FR 34630; 74 FR 41971). Each of these 32 
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 3, 2011.
    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 32 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 made on the merits of each 
case and made 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: August 19, 2011.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator Office of Policy.
[FR Doc. 2011-22316 Filed 8-31-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P