[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 180 (Monday, September 17, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 57068-57069]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-22880]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

49 CFR Part 395

[Docket No. FMCSA-2012-0183]


Hours of Service of Drivers of Commercial Motor Vehicles; 
Regulatory Guidance for Oil Field Exception

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

ACTION: Notice of public listening session.

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SUMMARY: FMCSA announces that it will hold its third and final public 
listening session to receive comments on the Agency's June 5, 2012, 
notice concerning regulatory guidance on the applicability of the 
oilfield operations exceptions in the hours-of-service regulations. In 
an August 6, 2012, Federal Register notice, the Agency extended the 
deadline for public comments from August 6 to October 5, 2012. As with 
the previous sessions, the Dallas listening session will be open to the 
public and webcast in its entirety.

DATES: This listening session will be held on September, 27, 2012, in 
Dallas, TX, at the Hyatt Regency DFW, 2334 North International Parkway, 
P.O. Box 619014, DFW Airport, Texas 75261, Telephone: (972) 453-1234, 
Fax: (972) 615-6826. The listening session will begin at 1:00 p.m., 
local time, and end at 5:30 p.m. local time, or earlier if all 
participants wishing to comment have expressed their views. Written 
comments to the docket must be received on or before October 5, 2012.

ADDRESSES: The September 27, 2012, listening session will be held at 
the

[[Page 57069]]

Hyatt Regency DFW, 2334 North International Parkway, P.O. Box 619014, 
DFW Airport, Texas 75261, Telephone: 972-453-1234, Fax: 972-615-6826.
    Internet Address for Alternative Media Broadcasts During and 
Immediately After the Listening Session. FMCSA will post specific 
information on how to participate via the Internet and telephone on the 
FMCSA Web site at www.fmcsa.dot.gov.
    You may submit comments identified by Federal Docket Management 
System Number FMCSA-2012-0183 by any of the following methods:
     Web site: www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments on the Federal electronic docket site.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Room W-12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 
DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: Ground Floor, Room W12-140, DOT Building, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. 
e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.

All submissions must include the Agency name and docket number. For 
detailed instruction on submitting comments and additional information, 
see the ``Public Participation'' heading below. Note that all comments 
received will be posted without change to www.regulations.gov, 
including any personal information provided. Please see the ``Privacy 
Act'' heading below.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to www.regulations.gov at any time or to Room 
W12-140, DOT Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.
    Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all 
comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or 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 December 29, 2010 (75 FR 82133), or you may visit 
www.regulations.gov.
    Public Participation: The www.regulations.gov Web site is generally 
available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. You can obtain 
electronic submission and retrieval help and guidelines under the 
``help'' section of that Web site, and at DOT's http://docketsinfo.dot.gov Web site. If you want us to notify you that we 
received your comments, please include a self-addressed, stamped 
envelope or postcard or print the acknowledgement page that appears 
after submitting comments online.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For the regulatory guidance issued on 
June 5, 2012, concerning oilfield hours-of-service exceptions: Mr. 
Thomas Yager, Chief, Driver and Carrier Operations Division, Federal 
Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
Washington, DC 20590, phone (202) 366-4325, email [email protected]. For 
the listening sessions: Ms. Shannon Watson, Senior Advisor to the 
Associate Administrator for Policy, Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, phone 
(202) 385-2395, email [email protected].
    If you need sign language assistance to participate in a listening 
session, please contact Ms. Watson no later than 10 days prior to the 
listening session.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On June 5, 2012, FMCSA published a notice in the Federal Register 
concerning regulatory guidance about the ``oilfield operations'' 
exceptions in 49 CFR 395.1(d)(77 FR 33098). The regulatory guidance, 
effective June 5, 2012, was issued to ensure consistent understanding 
and application of the regulatory exceptions. Several groups or 
organizations have requested that the Agency extend the comment period 
and consider holding a listening session(s). On August 6, 2012, the 
FMCSA announced (1) an extension of the comment period for the 
submission of written comments in response to the June 5, 2012, notice, 
and (2) listening sessions on the regulatory guidance. The previous two 
listening sessions were held on August 17, 2012, in Denver, CO, and on 
August 21, 2012, in Pittsburgh, PA. This represents the third and final 
listening session on this issue.

Listening Session

    The listening session is open to the public. Speakers are not 
required to preregister but should limit their remarks to 5 minutes. 
The public may submit material to the FMCSA staff at the session for 
inclusion in the docket, FMCSA-2012-0183.

Alternative Media Broadcasts During and Immediately After the Listening 
Session

    FMCSA will provide webcast information for the listening session. 
Prior to the session, the Agency will post the Web address for the live 
webcast and instructions on how to participate at FMCSA's Web site, 
www.fmcsa.dot.gov. After the listening session, FMCSA will place a full 
transcript of the listening session in the docket referenced at the 
beginning of this notice.

    Issued on: September 11, 2012.
 Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2012-22880 Filed 9-14-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P