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Notice
Qualification of Drivers; Exemption Applications; Vision
A Notice by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on 04/15/2010
Document Details
Information about this document as published in the Federal Register.
- Printed version:
- Publication Date:
- 04/15/2010
- Agencies:
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Dates:
- This decision is effective May 12, 2010. Comments must be received on or before May 17, 2010.
- Effective Date:
- 05/12/2010
- Comments Close:
- 05/17/2010
- Document Type:
- Notice
- Document Citation:
- 75 FR 19674
- Page:
- 19674-19675 (2 pages)
- Agency/Docket Numbers:
- Docket No. FMCSA-1999-6480
- FMCSA-2003-16564
- FMCSA-2005-23238
- FMCSA-2005-21254
- FMCSA-2005-21711
- FMCSA-2005-22727
- FMCSA-2007-0017
- FMCSA-2007-0071
- FMCSA-2008-0021
- Document Number:
- 2010-8646
Document Details
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- Docket Number:
- FMCSA-2005-23238
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Published Document
This document has been published in the Federal Register. Use the PDF linked in the document sidebar for the official electronic format.
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 29 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 May 12, 2010. Comments must be received on or before May 17, 2010.
ADDRESSES:
You may submit comments bearing the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) Docket ID FMCSA-1999-6480; FMCSA-2003-16564; FMCSA-2005-23238; FMCSA-2005-21254; FMCSA-2005-21711; FMCSA-2005-22727; FMCSA-2007-0017; FMCSA-2007-0071; FMCSA-2008-0021, 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.
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 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.). Start Printed Page 19675You may review the DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19476). This information is also available at http://www.regulations.gov.
Start Further InfoFOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. Mary D. Gunnels, Director, Medical Programs, (202)-366-4001, fmcsamedical@dot.gov, 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.
End Further Info End Preamble Start Supplemental InformationSUPPLEMENTARY 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 29 individuals who have requested renewal of their exemptions in accordance with FMCSA procedures. FMCSA has evaluated these 29 applications for renewal on their merits and decided to extend each exemption for a renewable two-year period. They are:
Gerald L. Anderson
Leo G. Becker
Timothy W. Bickford
Stanley W. Davis
Ray L. Emert
Sean O. Feeny
Steven R. Felks
Marvin T. Fowler
Michael J. Frein
Jimmy G. Hall
Hazel L. Hopkins, Jr.
Dennis R. Irvin
Mark L. LeBlanc
David A. Miller
Rick P. Moreno
Paul D. Schnautz
Steve J. Sherar
Robert F. Skinner, Jr.
William T. Smiley
Richard M. Smith
Robert A. Stoeckle
David N. Stubbs
Edward J. Sullivan
Aaron S. Taylor
Martin L. Taylor
Gary R. Thomas
William B. Thomas
Michael J. Tisher
Kevin R. White
These 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 provides 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 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 29 applicants has satisfied the entry conditions for obtaining an exemption from the vision requirements (64 FR 68195; 65 FR 20251; 67 FR 17102; 69 FR 17267; 71 FR 16410; 73 FR 28188; 68 FR 74699; 69 FR 10503; 71 FR 6829; 71 FR 5105; 71 FR 19600; 70 FR 30999; 70 FR 46567; 72 FR 40360; 70 FR 48797; 70 FR 61493; 73 FR 6246; 70 FR 71884; 71 FR 4632; 73 FR 5259; 72 FR 67340; 73 FR 1395; 73 FR 6242; 73 FR 16950; 73 FR 15567; 73 FR 27015). Each of these 29 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 May 17, 2010.
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 29 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.
Start SignatureIssued on: April 6, 2010.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2010-8646 Filed 4-14-10; 8:45 am]
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