Hours of Service of Drivers: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Application for Exemption, 40778-40780 [E6-11289]
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40778
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 137 / Tuesday, July 18, 2006 / Notices
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Federal programs and activities apply to this
proposed action.)
495 Interchange to the American Legion
Bridge, in the County of Fairfax. The
project will be approximately 22.5 km
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.
(14 mi) long and consists of
Issued on: July 12, 2006.
improvements to the mainline as well as
Donald R. Tuggle,
improvements at nine interchanges
Director, Program Administration, Federal
located within the project limits.
Highway Administration, Sterling, Virginia.
Specifically, two high occupancy
[FR Doc. E6–11338 Filed 7–17–06; 8:45 am]
vehicle (HOV) lanes will be added to the
BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
main line in each direction and be
managed as high occupancy toll (HOT)
lanes. The actions by the Federal
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION agencies, and the laws under which
such actions were taken, are described
Federal Highway Administration
in the Final Environmental Impact
Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions Statement (FEIS) for the project,
approved on April 18, 2006, in the
on Proposed Highway in Virginia
FHWA Record of Decision (ROD) issued
AGENCY: Federal Highway
on June 29, 2006, and in other
Administration (FHWA), DOT.
documents in the FHWA administrative
ACTION: Notice of Limitation on Claims
record. The FEIS, ROD, and other
for Judicial Review of Actions by
documents in the FHWA administrative
FHWA.
record file are available by contacting
the FHWA or the Virginia Department of
SUMMARY: This notice announces actions
Transportation at the addresses
taken by the FHWA that are final within provided above. The FHWA FEIS and
the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(1)(1). The
ROD can be viewed and downloaded
actions relate to a proposed highway
from the project Web site at https://
project, Interstate 495 (i.e., Capital
project1.parsons.com/capitalbeltway/.
Beltway), I–95/I–395/I–495 Interchange
This notice applies to all FHWA
to the American Legion Bridge, in the
decisions and approvals as of the
County of Fairfax, State of Virginia.
issuance date of this notice and all laws
Those actions grant approvals for the
under which such actions were taken,
project.
including but not limited to:
DATES: By this notice, the FHWA is
1. General: National Environmental
advising the public of final agency
Policy Act (NEPA) [42 USC 4321–4351];
actions subject to 23 U.S.C. 139(1)(1). A Federal-Aid Highway Act [23 U.S.C.
claim seeking judicial review of the
109].
Federal agency actions on the highway
2. Air: Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7401–
project will be barred unless the claim
7671(q).
is filed on or before January 16, 2007.
3. Land: Section 4(f) of the
If the Federal law that authorizes
Department of Transportation Act of
judicial review of a claim provides a
1966 [49 U.S.C. 303]; Landscaping and
time period of less than 180 days for
Science Enhancement (Wildflowers), 23
filing such claim, then that shorter time U.S.C. 319.
period still applies.
4. Wildlife: Endangered Species Act
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
[16 U.S.C. 1531–1544 and Section
Edward S. Sundra, Senior
1536], Marine Mammal Protection Act
Environmental Specialist, Federal
[16 U.S.C. 1361], Fish and wildlife
Highway Administration, 400 North 8th Coordination Act [16 U.S.C. 661–
Street, Suite 750, Richmond, Virginia
667(d)], Migratory Bird Treaty Act [16
23240–0249; telephone: (804) 775–3338; U.S.C. 703–712].
e-mail: Ed.Sundra@fhwa.dot.gov. The
5. Historic and Cultural Resources:
FHWA Virginia Division Office’s normal Section 106 of the National Historic
business hours are 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Preservation Act of 1966, as amended
(eastern time). You may also contact Mr. [16 U.S.C. 470(f) et seq.]; Archaeological
Earl T. Robb, Environmental
Resources Protection Act of 1977 [16
Administrator, Virginia Department of
U.S.C. 470(aa)–11]; Archaeological and
Transportation, 1401 East Broad Street,
Historic Preservation Act [16 U.S.C.
Richmond, Virginia 23219; telephone:
469–469(c)]; Native American Grave
(804) 786–4559; e-mail:
Protection and Repatriation Act
Earl.Robb@vdot.virginia.gov.
(NAGPRA) [25 U.S.C. 3001–3013].
6. Social and Economic: Civil Rights
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is
Act of 1964 [42 U.S.C. 2000(d)–
hereby given that the FHWA has taken
200(d)(1)]; American Indian Religious
final agency actions by issuing
Freedom Act [42 U.S.C. 1996]; Farmland
approvals for the following highway
project in the State of Virginia: Interstate Protection Policy Act (FPPA) [7 U.S.C.
495 (i.e., Capital Beltway), I–95/I–395/I– 4201–4209].
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16:25 Jul 17, 2006
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7. Executive Orders: E.O. 1190
Protection of Wetlands; E.O. 11988
Floodplain Management; E.O. 12898,
Federal Actions to Address
Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low Income
Populations; E.O. 11593 Protection and
Enhancement of Cultural Resources;
E.O. 13007 Indian Sacred Sites; E.O.
13287 Preserve America; E.O. 13175
Consultation and Coordination with
Indian Tribal Governments; E.O. 11514
Protection and Enhancement of
Environmental Quality; E.O. 13112
Invasive Species.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning
and Construction. The regulations
implementing Executive Order 12372
regarding intergovernmental consultation on
Federal programs and activities apply to this
program.)
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1).
Issued on: July 6, 2006.
Edward Sundra,
Senior Environmental Specialist, Richmond,
Virginia.
[FR Doc. 06–6265 Filed 7–17–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–M
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration
[Docket No. FMCSA–2005–23459]
Hours of Service of Drivers: National
Ready Mixed Concrete Association
Application for Exemption
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of application for
exemption; request for comments.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: FMCSA announces that it has
received an application from the
National Ready Mixed Concrete
Association (NRMCA) for a 2-year
exemption from certain provisions of
the hours-of-service (HOS) rules for
commercial motor vehicle (CMV)
drivers. Under the exemption, drivers of
ready-mixed concrete vehicles in
designated areas would be allowed to
operate under the 100 air-mile radius
exception from the requirement to
prepare records of duty status (RODS)
provided they are released from work
within 14 hours following 10
consecutive hours off duty.
Additionally, NRMCA requests an
exemption from the requirement that a
CMV driver record his or her duty status
for each 24-hour period using the
methods prescribed in the HOS rules.
NRMCA is requesting the exemption on
behalf of ready-mixed concrete
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 137 / Tuesday, July 18, 2006 / Notices
producers operating within a 100 airmile radius, in interstate commerce,
delivering to active construction sites in
Alabama, Florida, Louisiana,
Mississippi, and Texas. NRMCA states
that approximately 800 drivers and the
same number of ready-mixed concrete
vehicles will operate under the
requested exemption. NRMCA bases its
request on the fact that many companies
and their drivers are working to rebuild
areas affected by the record number of
hurricanes during the 2005 hurricane
season. FMCSA requests public
comment on NRMCA’s application for
exemption.
Comments must be received on
or before August 17, 2006.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
[identified by DOT DMS Docket
No.FMCSA–2005–23459] using any of
the following methods:
• Web Site: Go to https://
dmses.dot.gov/submit. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments
on the DOT electronic docket site.
• Fax: 1–202–493–2251.
• Mail: Docket Management Facility;
U.S. Department of Transportation, 400
Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building,
Room PL–401, Washington, DC 20590–
0001.
• Hand Delivery: Room PL–401 on
the plaza level of the Nassif Building,
400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington,
DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments.
Instructions: All submissions must
include the Agency name and docket
number for this notice. Note that all
comments received will be posted
without change to https://dms.dot.gov
including any personal information
provided. Please see the Privacy Act
heading for further information.
Docket: For access to the docket to
read background documents or
comments received, go to https://
dms.dot.gov at any time or to Room PL–
401 on the plaza level of the Nassif
Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
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 to be notified 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.
Privacy Act: Anyone may search the
electronic form of all comments
received into any of DOT’s dockets by
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
DATES:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:25 Jul 17, 2006
Jkt 208001
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, or
other entity). You may review DOT’s
complete Privacy Act Statement in the
Federal Register published on April 11,
2000 (65 FR 19477). This statement is
also available at https://dms.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Thomas Yager, Division Chief, Driver
and Carrier Operations Division (MC–
PSD), Office of Bus and Truck Standards
and Operations, phone (202) 366–4009,
e-mail MCPSD@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 4007 of the Transportation
Equity Act for the 21st Century (Pub. L.
105–178, June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 107)
amended 49 U.S.C. 31315 and 31136(e)
to provide authority to grant exemptions
from the motor carrier safety
regulations. On August 20, 2004,
FMCSA published a final rule (69 FR
51589) on section 4007. Under the
regulations, FMCSA must publish a
notice of each exemption request in the
Federal Register (49 CFR 381.315(a)).
FMCSA must provide the public with
an opportunity to inspect the
information relevant to the application,
including any safety analyses that have
been conducted, and it must provide an
opportunity for public comment on the
request.
FMCSA reviews the safety analyses
and the public comments and
determines whether granting the
exemption would achieve a level of
safety equivalent to or greater than the
level that would be achieved by the
current regulation (49 CFR 381.305).
FMCSA’s decision must be published in
the Federal Register (49 CFR
381.315(b)). If FMCSA denies the
request, it must state the reason for
doing so. If FMCSA grants the
exemption, the notice must specify the
person or class of persons receiving the
exemption and the regulatory provision
or provisions from which exemption is
being granted. The notice must also
specify the effective period of the
exemption (up to 2 years) and explain
the terms and conditions of the
exemption. The exemption may be
renewed (49 CFR 381.300(b)).
Application for Exemption
NRMCA seeks an exemption from the
requirement for drivers to prepare
RODS. The exemption would apply to
ready-mixed concrete drivers that
operate within 100 air-miles of the
drivers’ normal work reporting location,
return to the work reporting location,
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Frm 00094
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
40779
and are released from work within 14
hours. Currently, 49 CFR 395.1(e)(1)
provides an exception from the RODS
requirement for drivers operating within
100 air-miles but returning within 12
hours. The request is limited to holders
of Class A or B commercial driver’s
licenses and to interstate deliveries to
active construction sites in Alabama,
Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and
Texas. Drivers’ normal work reporting
locations must also be in one of these
States. The request is further limited to
drivers who ‘‘* * * must deliver to
active commercial, residential or local,
state or federal construction sites
* * *.’’ NRMCA indicated that
approximately 800 drivers and the same
number of ready-mixed concrete
vehicles will be affected by the
requested exemption. NRMCA bases its
request on the fact that many companies
and their drivers are working to rebuild
areas affected by the record number of
hurricanes during the 2005 hurricane
season.
In addition, NRMCA requests that
ready-mixed concrete drivers utilizing
the requested exemption complete, and
that motor carriers require such drivers
to complete, an alternative time record
that contains (1) The driver’s name, (2)
the date, (3) start time, (4) stop time, (5)
total hours worked daily, (6) total hours
for the week, (7) normal work reporting
location, and (8) the driver’s signature.
This differs from the current
requirement for time records for drivers
using the 100 air-mile exception in 49
CFR 395.1(e)(1) by adding the
requirement for the driver’s signature.
NRMCA suggests that reducing the
paperwork without diminishing public
safety will benefit and facilitate ongoing
rebuilding activities. It proposes, as a
condition under the terms of the
exemption, to select individual readymixed concrete producers and monitor
the number of DOT-recordable accidents
that occur among the producers, and it
will report its findings to FMCSA.
NRMCA requests the exemption extend
for a period of two years from the date
of approval.
A copy of NRMCA’s application for
exemption is available for review in the
docket for this notice.
Request for Comments
In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315
and 31136(e), FMCSA requests public
comment on NRMCA’s application for
exemption from 49 CFR 395.1(e).
FMCSA will consider all comments
received by close of business on August
17, 2006. Comments will be available
for examination in the docket at the
location listed under the ADDRESSES
section of this notice. FMCSA will file
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40780
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 137 / Tuesday, July 18, 2006 / Notices
comments received after the comment
closing date in the public docket and
will consider them to the extent
practicable. In addition to late
comments, FMCSA will also continue to
file in the public docket relevant
information that becomes available after
the comment closing date. Interested
persons should monitor the public
docket for new material.
Issued on: July 10, 2006.
David H. Hugel,
Acting Administration.
[FR Doc. E6–11289 Filed 7–17–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[Docket No. FTA–2005–22657]
RIN 2132–AA85
Charter Service Negotiated
Rulemaking Advisory Committee
Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), DOT.
AGENCY:
Notice of new meeting location
and time of the meeting.
ACTION:
SUMMARY: This notice lists the location
and time of the next Charter Bus
Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory
Committee (CBNRAC) meeting.
DATES:
Effective Date: July 18, 2006.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Elizabeth Martineau, Attorney-Advisor,
Office of the Chief Counsel, Federal
Transit Administration, 202–366–1936
(elizabeth.martineau@dot.gov). Her
mailing address at the Federal Transit
Administration is 400 Seventh Street,
SW., Room 9316, Washington, DC
20590.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Meeting Location
The Radisson Hotel, 2020 Jefferson
Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202
(Crystal City).
Meeting Time
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
July 17th, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m., July 18th,
8:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Issued this 11th day of July, 2006, in
Washington DC.
Sandra K. Bushue,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 06–6324 Filed 7–14–06; 12:25 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910–57–M
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16:25 Jul 17, 2006
Jkt 208001
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Docket No. AB–290 (Sub–No. 273X)]
The Alabama Great Southern Railroad
Company—Discontinuance of Service
Exemption—in Saint Bernard Parish,
LA
The Alabama Great Southern Railroad
Company (AGS), a wholly owned
subsidiary of Norfolk Southern Railway
Company (NSR), has filed a notice of
exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart
F—Exempt Abandonments and
Discontinuances of Service to
discontinue service over a 4.50-mile line
of railroad, between milepost 0.00 PT, at
Poydras Junction, and milepost 4.50 PT,
at Toca, in Saint Bernard Parish, LA.
The line traverses United States Postal
Service Zip Code 70085.
AGS has certified that: (1) No local
traffic has moved over the line for at
least 2 years; (2) no overhead traffic has
moved over the line for at least 2 years,
and that overhead traffic, if there were
any, could be rerouted over other lines;
(3) no formal complaint filed by a user
of rail service on the line (or by a state
or local government entity acting on
behalf of such user) regarding cessation
of service over the line either is pending
with the Surface Transportation Board
(Board) or with any U.S. District Court
or has been decided in favor of
complainant within the 2-year period;
and (4) the requirements at 49 CFR
1105.12 (newspaper publication), and
49 CFR 1152.50(d)(1) (notice to
governmental agencies) have been met.1
As a condition to this exemption, any
employee adversely affected by the
discontinuance shall be protected under
Oregon Short Line R. Co.—
Abandonment—Goshen, 360 I.C.C. 91
(1979). To address whether this
condition adequately protects affected
employees, a petition for partial
revocation under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d)
must be filed.
Provided no formal expression of
intent to file an offer of financial
assistance (OFA) has been received, this
exemption will be effective on August
17, 2006,2 unless stayed pending
reconsideration. Petitions to stay and
formal expressions of intent to file an
OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2),3 must
1 Because this is a discontinuance of service
proceedingand not an abandonment, the proceeding
is exempt from the requirements of 49 CFR 1105.7
(environmental reports), 49 CFR 1105.8 (historic
reports), and 49 CFR 1105.11 (transmittal letter).
2 Because this is a discontinuance proceeding,
trailuse/rail banking and public use conditions are
not applicable.
3 Each OFA must be accompanied by the filing
fee, whichwas increased to $1,300 effective on
PO 00000
Frm 00095
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
be filed by July 28, 2006. Petitions to
reopen must be filed by August 7, 2006,
with the Surface Transportation Board,
1925 K Street, NW., Washington, DC
20423–0001.
A copy of any petition filed with the
Board should be sent to applicant’s
representative: James R. Paschall, Senior
General Attorney, The Alabama Great
Southern Railroad Company, Three
Commercial Place, Norfolk, VA 23510.
If the verified notice contains false or
misleading information, the exemption
is void ab initio.
Board decisions and notices are
available on our Web site at
WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.
Decided: July 11, 2006.
By the Board, David M. Konschnik,
Director, Office of Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–11267 Filed 7–17–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service
Proposed Collection; Comment
Request for Form 3520–A
Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
Treasury.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Department of the
Treasury, as part of its continuing effort
to reduce paperwork and respondent
burden, invites the general public and
other Federal agencies to take this
opportunity to comment on proposed
and/or continuing information
collections, as required by the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is
soliciting comments concerning Form
3520–A, Annual Information Return of
Foreign Trust With a U.S. Owner.
DATES: Written comments should be
received on or before September 18,
2006 to be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments
to Glenn Kirkland, Internal Revenue
Service, room 6516, 1111 Constitution
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20224.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of the form and instructions
should be directed to Allan Hopkins, at
(202) 622–6665, or at Internal Revenue
April 19, 2006. See Regulations Governing Fees for
Services Performed in Connection with Licensing
and Related Services—2006 Update, STB Ex Parte
No. 542 (Sub-No. 13) (STB served Mar. 20, 2006).
E:\FR\FM\18JYN1.SGM
18JYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 137 (Tuesday, July 18, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40778-40780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-11289]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
[Docket No. FMCSA-2005-23459]
Hours of Service of Drivers: National Ready Mixed Concrete
Association Application for Exemption
AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of application for exemption; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: FMCSA announces that it has received an application from the
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) for a 2-year
exemption from certain provisions of the hours-of-service (HOS) rules
for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. Under the exemption,
drivers of ready-mixed concrete vehicles in designated areas would be
allowed to operate under the 100 air-mile radius exception from the
requirement to prepare records of duty status (RODS) provided they are
released from work within 14 hours following 10 consecutive hours off
duty. Additionally, NRMCA requests an exemption from the requirement
that a CMV driver record his or her duty status for each 24-hour period
using the methods prescribed in the HOS rules. NRMCA is requesting the
exemption on behalf of ready-mixed concrete
[[Page 40779]]
producers operating within a 100 air-mile radius, in interstate
commerce, delivering to active construction sites in Alabama, Florida,
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. NRMCA states that approximately 800
drivers and the same number of ready-mixed concrete vehicles will
operate under the requested exemption. NRMCA bases its request on the
fact that many companies and their drivers are working to rebuild areas
affected by the record number of hurricanes during the 2005 hurricane
season. FMCSA requests public comment on NRMCA's application for
exemption.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 17, 2006.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments [identified by DOT DMS Docket
No.FMCSA-2005-23459] using any of the following methods:
Web Site: Go to https://dmses.dot.gov/submit. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401,
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and
docket number for this notice. Note that all comments received will be
posted without change to https://dms.dot.gov including any personal
information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading for further
information.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to https://dms.dot.gov at any time or to Room PL-
401 on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
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 to be notified 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.
Privacy Act: Anyone may search the electronic form of all comments
received into any of DOT's 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, or other
entity). You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the
Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477). This
statement is also available at https://dms.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Thomas Yager, Division Chief,
Driver and Carrier Operations Division (MC-PSD), Office of Bus and
Truck Standards and Operations, phone (202) 366-4009, e-mail
MCPSD@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 4007 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
(Pub. L. 105-178, June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 107) amended 49 U.S.C. 31315
and 31136(e) to provide authority to grant exemptions from the motor
carrier safety regulations. On August 20, 2004, FMCSA published a final
rule (69 FR 51589) on section 4007. Under the regulations, FMCSA must
publish a notice of each exemption request in the Federal Register (49
CFR 381.315(a)). FMCSA must provide the public with an opportunity to
inspect the information relevant to the application, including any
safety analyses that have been conducted, and it must provide an
opportunity for public comment on the request.
FMCSA reviews the safety analyses and the public comments and
determines whether granting the exemption would achieve a level of
safety equivalent to or greater than the level that would be achieved
by the current regulation (49 CFR 381.305). FMCSA's decision must be
published in the Federal Register (49 CFR 381.315(b)). If FMCSA denies
the request, it must state the reason for doing so. If FMCSA grants the
exemption, the notice must specify the person or class of persons
receiving the exemption and the regulatory provision or provisions from
which exemption is being granted. The notice must also specify the
effective period of the exemption (up to 2 years) and explain the terms
and conditions of the exemption. The exemption may be renewed (49 CFR
381.300(b)).
Application for Exemption
NRMCA seeks an exemption from the requirement for drivers to
prepare RODS. The exemption would apply to ready-mixed concrete drivers
that operate within 100 air-miles of the drivers' normal work reporting
location, return to the work reporting location, and are released from
work within 14 hours. Currently, 49 CFR 395.1(e)(1) provides an
exception from the RODS requirement for drivers operating within 100
air-miles but returning within 12 hours. The request is limited to
holders of Class A or B commercial driver's licenses and to interstate
deliveries to active construction sites in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana,
Mississippi, and Texas. Drivers' normal work reporting locations must
also be in one of these States. The request is further limited to
drivers who ``* * * must deliver to active commercial, residential or
local, state or federal construction sites * * *.'' NRMCA indicated
that approximately 800 drivers and the same number of ready-mixed
concrete vehicles will be affected by the requested exemption. NRMCA
bases its request on the fact that many companies and their drivers are
working to rebuild areas affected by the record number of hurricanes
during the 2005 hurricane season.
In addition, NRMCA requests that ready-mixed concrete drivers
utilizing the requested exemption complete, and that motor carriers
require such drivers to complete, an alternative time record that
contains (1) The driver's name, (2) the date, (3) start time, (4) stop
time, (5) total hours worked daily, (6) total hours for the week, (7)
normal work reporting location, and (8) the driver's signature. This
differs from the current requirement for time records for drivers using
the 100 air-mile exception in 49 CFR 395.1(e)(1) by adding the
requirement for the driver's signature.
NRMCA suggests that reducing the paperwork without diminishing
public safety will benefit and facilitate ongoing rebuilding
activities. It proposes, as a condition under the terms of the
exemption, to select individual ready-mixed concrete producers and
monitor the number of DOT-recordable accidents that occur among the
producers, and it will report its findings to FMCSA. NRMCA requests the
exemption extend for a period of two years from the date of approval.
A copy of NRMCA's application for exemption is available for review
in the docket for this notice.
Request for Comments
In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315 and 31136(e), FMCSA requests
public comment on NRMCA's application for exemption from 49 CFR
395.1(e). FMCSA will consider all comments received by close of
business on August 17, 2006. Comments will be available for examination
in the docket at the location listed under the Addresses section of
this notice. FMCSA will file
[[Page 40780]]
comments received after the comment closing date in the public docket
and will consider them to the extent practicable. In addition to late
comments, FMCSA will also continue to file in the public docket
relevant information that becomes available after the comment closing
date. Interested persons should monitor the public docket for new
material.
Issued on: July 10, 2006.
David H. Hugel,
Acting Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-11289 Filed 7-17-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P