[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 115 (Wednesday, June 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39098-39100]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-14141]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-1999-6156; FMCSA-2000-7918; FMCSA-2001-10578; FMCSA-
2003-15268; FMCSA-2003-15892; FMCSA-2005-21711; FMCSA-2005-22194; 
FMCSA-2005-22727; FMCSA-2006-24783; FMCSA-2006-25246; FMCSA-2007-0017; 
FMCSA-2007-26653; FMCSA-2007-27897; FMCSA-2009-0154; FMCSA-2009-0303; 
FMCSA-2010-0082; FMCSA-2011-0142; FMCSA-2011-0189; FMCSA-2011-0275; 
FMCSA-2011-0298; FMCSA-2011-0299; FMCSA-2011-26690; FMCSA-2013-0027; 
FMCSA-2013-0029; FMCSA-2013-0030; FMCSA-2013-0165; FMCSA-2013-0166; 
FMCSA-2013-0167; FMCSA-2013-0168; FMCSA-2013-0169; FMCSA-2013-0170]


Qualification of Drivers; Exemption Applications; Vision

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

ACTION: Notice of final disposition.

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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 
120 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: Each group of renewed exemptions are effective from the dates 
stated in the discussions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine A. Hydock, Chief, Medical 
Programs 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: 

I. Electronic Access

    You may submit comments using the following Federal Docket 
Management System (FDMS) Docket Nos. discussed in this notice 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: 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 numbers for this notice. Note that all comments received will be 
posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading below 
for further information.
    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: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits 
comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT 
posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information 
the commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the 
system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at 
www.dot.gov/privacy.

II. Background

    On December 24, 2015, FMCSA published a notice of intent to renew 
the exemptions of drivers who have previously held exemptions, and 
requested comments from the public (80 FR 80443). The 120 individuals 
have held exemptions from the vision requirement in 49 CFR 
391.41(b)(10) for drivers who operate CMVs in interstate commerce.
    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.

III. Request for Comments

    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. FMCSA encourages you to participate by 
submitting comments and related materials.

[[Page 39099]]

IV. Basis for Renewing Exemptions

    This notice addresses 120 individuals who have requested renewal of 
their exemptions in accordance with FMCSA procedures. FMCSA has 
evaluated these 120 applications for renewal on their merits and 
decided to extend each exemption for a renewable two-year period.
    In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315, the following 
groups of drivers received renewed exemptions in the month of January 
and are discussed below.
    As of January 3, 2016 the following 41 individuals have satisfied 
the conditions for obtaining a renewed exemption from the vision 
requirements (64 FR 54948; 65 FR 159; 66 FR 53826; 66 FR 66966; 66 FR 
66969; 68 FR 69432; 68 FR 69434; 70 FR 53412; 70 FR 57353; 70 FR 72689; 
70 FR 74102; 71 FR 32183; 71 FR 41310; 71 FR 644; 72 FR 180; 72 FR 
8417; 72 FR 9397; 72 FR 36099; 72 FR 39879; 72 FR 52419; 72 FR 62897; 
72 FR 71995; 73 FR 60398; 74 FR 8302; 74 FR 34394; 74 FR 37295; 74 FR 
41971; 74 FR 48343; 74 FR 60021; 74 FR 65847; 75 FR 25917; 75 FR 39727; 
76 FR 12216; 76 FR 34135; 76 FR 49528; 76 FR 53708; 76 FR 54530; 76 FR 
55465; 76 FR 61143; 76 FR 64169; 76 FR 64171; 76 FR 67246; 76 FR 70210; 
76 FR 70212; 76 FR 75942; 76 FR 75943; 76 FR 79760; 78 FR 24798; 78 FR 
34143; 78 FR 41975; 78 FR 46407; 78 FR 47818; 78 FR 52602; 78 FR 56986; 
78 FR 62935; 78 FR 63302; 78 FR 63307; 78 FR 64274; 78 FR 65032; 78 FR 
66099; 78 FR 67452; 78 FR 67460; 78 FR 76395; 78 FR 76705; 78 FR 77778; 
78 FR 77780; 78 FR 77782; 78 FR 78477; 80 FR 80443):

Terry L. Baker (KY)
Woodrow E. Bohley (MO)
Jason W. Bowers (OR)
Scott Brady (FL)
Kenneth E. Bross (MO)
Junior Chavarria (NM)
William Chisley (MD)
Walter F. Crean, III (CT)
Terry D. Elliott (TN)
Ronnie J. Fieck (WI)
Frederick E. Foster (VA)
Gerald W. Fox (PA)
Raymond L. Herman (NY)
Wesley V. Holland (NC)
Darryl H. Johnson (WV)
Carol Kelly (IN)
Martin D. Keough (NY)
Richard H. Kind (WA)
Eric L. Kinner (NY)
Volga Kirkwood (MO)
Richard L. Loeffelholz (WI)
Stanley B. Marshall (GA)
Herman C. Mash (NC)
James McCleary (OH)
Humberto Mendoza (TX)
Marvin L. Motes (FL)
Gerald L. Pagan (NC)
Daniel F. Perez (CA)
Robert G. Rascicot (FL)
Michael J. Robinson (WV)
Glen M. Schulz (IA)
Levi A. Shetler (OH)
Herbert W. Smith (WV)
Juan E. Sotero (FL)
James A. Spell (MD)
Timothy R. Steckman (IL)
Paul D. Stoddard (NY)
Harry J. Stoever, Jr. (NJ)
Eric Taniguchi (HI)
Benny R. Toothman (PA)
Stephen H. Ward (MO)

    The drivers were included in one of the following dockets: Docket 
Nos. FMCSA-1999-6156; FMCSA-2001-10578; FMCSA-2005-22194; FMCSA-2006-
24783; FMCSA-2006-25246; FMCSA-2007-26653; FMCSA-2007-27897; FMCSA-
2009-0154; FMCSA-2010-0082; FMCSA-2011-0142; FMCSA-2011-0189; FMCSA-
2011-26690; FMCSA-2013-0027; FMCSA-2013-0029; FMCSA-2013-0030; FMCSA-
2013-0165; FMCSA-2013-0166; FMCSA-2013-0168; FMCSA-2013-0169. Their 
exemptions are effective as of January 3, 2016 and will expire on 
January 3, 2018.
    As of January 5, 2016, the following 3 individuals have satisfied 
the conditions for obtaining a renewed exemption from the vision 
requirements (76 FR 70213; 77 FR 541; 78 FR 74223; 80 FR 80443):

Michael P. Eisenreich (MN)
John T. Thor (MN)
George G. Ulferts, Jr. (IA)

    The drivers were included in one of the following dockets: Docket 
No. FMCSA-2011-0298. Their exemptions are effective as of January 5, 
2016 and will expire on January 5, 2018.
    As of January 8, 2016, the following 10 individuals have satisfied 
the conditions for obtaining a renewed exemption from the vision 
requirements (72 FR 67340; 73 FR 1395; 74 FR 65845; 76 FR 78728; 78 FR 
76704; 80 FR 80443):

Richard D. Becotte (NH)
Wayne A. Burnett (NC)
Boleslaw Makowski (WI)
Charles M. Moore (TX)
Gary T. Murray (GA)
Anthony D. Ovitt (VT)
Martin Postma (IL)
Steven S. Reinsvold (WI)
George E. Todd (WV)
Bradley A. Weiser (OH)

    The drivers were included in one of the following dockets: Docket 
No. FMCSA-2007-0017. Their exemptions are effective as of January 8, 
2016 and will expire on January 8, 2018.
    As of January 9, 2016, the following individual, Juan R. Andrade 
(TX), has satisfied the conditions for obtaining a renewed exemption 
from the vision requirements (78 FR 64271; 79 FR 2748; 80 FR 80443). 
The driver was included in the following docket: Docket No. FMCSA-2013-
0167. The exemption is effective as of January 9, 2016 and will expire 
on January 9, 2018.
    As of January 15, 2016, the following 15 individuals have satisfied 
the conditions for obtaining a renewed exemption from the vision 
requirements (78 FR 64271; 79 FR 2748; 80 FR 80443):

Ronald C. Ashley (GA)
Miguel A. Calderon (CA)
Terry L. Cliffe (IL)
Andrew S. Durward (IL)
James P. Fitzgerald (MA)
Louis E. Henry, Jr. (KY)
Adam S. Larson (CO)
Sally A. Leavitt (NV)
Glenn H. Lewis (OH)
Leonardo Lopez (NE)
Larry P. Magrath (MN)
Richard J. Pauxtis (OR)
Johnny L. Powell (MD)
Roy A. Whitaker (TX)
Sammy D. Wynn (GA)

    The drivers were included in one of the following dockets: Docket 
No. FMCSA-2013-0167. Their exemptions are effective as of January 15, 
2016 and will expire on January 15, 2018.
    As of January 24, 2016, the following 7 individuals have satisfied 
the conditions for obtaining a renewed exemption from the vision 
requirements (76 FR 64164; 76 FR 70213; 76 FR 73769; 77 FR 541; 77 FR 
3547; 79 FR 2247; 80 FR 80443):

Adam O. Carson (MS)
Marion J. Coleman, Jr. (KY)
Lex A. Fabrizio (UT)
Mark A. Ferris (IA)
Roger W. Hammack (AL)
Herman Martinez (NM)
Gilford J. Whittle (GA)

    The drivers were included in one of the following dockets: Docket 
No. FMCSA-2011-0275; FMCSA-2011-0298; FMCSA-2011-0299. Their exemptions 
are effective as of January 24, 2016 and will expire on January 24, 
2018.
    As of January 27, 2016, the following 13 individuals have satisfied 
the conditions for obtaining a renewed exemption from the vision 
requirements (65 FR 66286; 66 FR 13825; 68 FR 10300; 68 FR 37197; 68 FR 
52811; 68 FR 61860; 70 FR 41811; 70 FR 48797; 70 FR 48798; 70 FR 48799; 
70 FR 48800; 70 FR 48801; 70 FR 57353; 70 FR 61165; 70 FR 71884; 70 FR 
72689; 71 FR 4632; 72 FR 52422; 72 FR 58359; 72 FR 62897; 73 FR 1395; 
73 FR 5259; 74 FR 60021; 74 FR 64124; 74 FR 65845; 75 FR 1451; 77 FR 
545; 78 FR 78475; 80 FR 80443):


[[Page 39100]]


Arthur L. Bousema (CA)
Norman E. Braden (CO)
Matthew W. Daggs (MO)
Donald R. Date, Jr. (MD)
Gordon R. Fritz (WI)
Ronald K. Fultz (KY)
John E. Kimmet, Jr. (WA)
Robert C. Leathers (MO)
Jason L. Light (ID)
Kenneth R. Murphy (WA)
Michael J. Richard (LA)
Robert E. Sanders (PA)
Robert A. Sherry (PA)

    The drivers were included in one of the following dockets: Docket 
No. FMCSA-2000-7918; FMCSA-2003-15268; FMCSA-2003-15892; FMCSA-2005-
21711; FMCSA-2005-22194; FMCSA-2005-22727. Their exemptions are 
effective as of January 27, 2016 and will expire on January 27, 2018.
    As of January 28, 2016, the following 9 individuals have satisfied 
the conditions for obtaining a renewed exemption from the vision 
requirements (74 FR 60022; 75 FR 4623; 77 FR 543; 78 FR 76707; 80 FR 
80443):

James J. Coffield (NM)
Roy E. Crayne (WA)
James A. Dubay (MI)
Donald E. Halvorson (NM)
Roger D. Kool (IA)
Phillip J.C. Locke (CO)
Brian T. Nelson (MN)
Christopher M. Rivera (NM)
Robert E. Whitney (IL)

    The drivers were included in one of the following dockets: Docket 
No. FMCSA-2009-0303. Their exemptions are effective as of January 28, 
2016 and will expire on January 28, 2018.
    As of January 29, 2016, the following 21 individuals have satisfied 
the conditions for obtaining a renewed exemption from the vision 
requirements (78 FR 67454; 79 FR 4803; 80 FR 80443):

Calvin J. Barbour (NY)
Martin D. Bellcour (WI)
Walter A. Breeze (OH)
Donald G. Carstensen (IA)
Jamie D. Daniels (IA)
Mark A. Farnsley (IN)
Michael L. Fiamingo (PA)
Kenric J. Fields (DE)
Randall Hjelmtveit (MN)
Randy G. Kinney (IL)
Hector Marquez (TX)
Dennis R. Martinez (NM)
Fred A. Miller, Jr. (CA)
Joseph K. Parley (WI)
Robert L. Pearson (GA)
Ryan R. Ross (SC)
Troy M. Ruhlman (PA)
Hershel D. Volentine (LA)
Gary D. Vollertsen (CO)
David R. Webb, Jr. (IL)
Wesley A. Willis (NJ)

    The drivers were included in one of the following dockets: Docket 
No. FMCSA-2013-0170. Their exemptions are effective as of January 29, 
2016 and will expire on January 29, 2018.
    Each of these 120 applicants has requested renewal of the exemption 
and has submitted evidence showing that the vision in the better eye 
continues to meet the requirement 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 requirements.
    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.

V. Conditions and Requirements

    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 requirements 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.

VI. Conclusion

    Based upon its evaluation of the 120 exemption applications, FMCSA 
renews the exemptions of the aforementioned drivers from the vision 
requirement in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10), subject to the requirements cited 
above (49 CFR 391.64(b)).
    In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315, each exemption 
will be valid for 2 years unless revoked earlier by FMCSA. The 
exemption will be revoked 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 and 31315.
    If the exemption is still effective at the end of the 2-year 
period, the person may apply to FMCSA for a renewal under procedures in 
effect at that time.

    Issued on: June 7, 2016.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2016-14141 Filed 6-14-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P