Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 49 / Friday, March 13, 2015 / Notices 13459 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

May 12, 2015. Late filed comments will 

be considered to the extent practicable. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

to Docket No. FHWA–2015–0001 by any 

of the following methods: 

Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

www.regulations.gov and follow the 

online 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 8:30 a.m. and 

4:30 p.m. e.t., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. 

Fax: (202) 493–2251. 

Instructions: You must include the 

agency name (Federal Highway 

Administration or Federal Transit 

Administration) and the Docket Number 

of this notice at the beginning of your 

comments. Note that all comments 

received will be posted without change 

to www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information provided. You 

may review DOT’s complete Privacy Act 

Statement published in the Federal 

Register on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 

19477). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

the FHWA: Neel Vanikar, Office of 

Project Development and Environmental 

Review, (202) 366–2068, or Jomar 

Maldonado, Office of Chief Counsel, 

(202) 366–1373. For FTA: Chris Van 

Wyk, Office of Environmental Programs, 

(202) 366–1733, or Helen Serassio, 

Office of Chief Counsel, (202) 366–1974. 

The FHWA and FTA are located at 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 

DC 20590. Office hours are from 9:00 

a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The FHWA and FTA, hereafter 

referred to as the ‘‘Agencies,’’ are 

proposing the issuance of revised joint 

guidance on the environmental review 

process based on revisions to 23 U.S.C. 

139 (Efficient environmental rules for 

project decisionmaking) by various 

MAP–21 provisions. The proposed 

guidance would update and supersede 

the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, 

Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A 

Legacy for Users (SAFETEA–LU) 

Environmental Review Process Final 

Guidance issued on November 16, 2006. 

The MAP–21 added requirements and 

refinements to the project development 

procedures found in 23 U.S.C. 139 

(Section 139), which contains statutory 

requirements supplemental to the 

process required by NEPA, the Council 

on Environmental Quality regulations at 

40 CFR 1500, and the FHWA/FTA joint 

environmental regulations at 23 CFR 

part 771. Section 139 provides the roles 

of the project sponsor and the lead, 

participating, and cooperating agencies; 

sets requirements for coordinating and 

scheduling agency reviews; identifies 

the authority of States to use Federal 

funding to ensure timely environmental 

reviews; specifies a process for resolving 

interagency disagreements; and 

establishes a statute of limitations on 

claims against transportation projects. 

The MAP–21 amended Section 139 by 

emphasizing a framework for setting 

deadlines for decisionmaking in the 

environmental review process; 

modifying the process for issue 

resolution and referral; establishing 

penalties for Federal agencies that do 

not make a timely decision; and, 

providing an option for complex 

projects stalled in the environmental 

review process to receive technical 

assistance with a goal of completing the 

environmental review process (i.e., 

issuance of a record of decision (ROD)) 

within 4 years. In addition, MAP–21 

mandated the combination of the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement and 

ROD into one document under certain 

circumstances, to the maximum extent 

practicable, although that process 

change was not codified in Section 139. 

The Agencies request comments on 

the revised guidance, which is available 

in the docket (FHWA–2015–0001) and 

on FHWA’s and FTA’s MAP–21 Web 

sites. The Agencies will respond to 

comments received on the guidance in 

a second Federal Register notice, to be 

published after the close of the 

comment period. That second notice 

will also announce the availability of 

final guidance that reflects any changes 

implemented as a result of comments 

received. 

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 139; Pub. L. 112–141, 

126 Stat. 551. 

Issued on: February 27, 2015. 

Gregory G. Nadeau, 

Deputy Administrator, Federal Highway 

Administration. 

Therese W. McMillan, 

Acting Administrator, Federal Transit 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2015–05786 Filed 3–12–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket Number FRA–2015–0013] 

Petition for Waiver of Compliance 

In accordance with Part 211 of Title 

49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 

this document provides the public 

notice that by a document dated January 

26, 2015, the Illinois Railway Museum 

(IRM) has petitioned the Federal 

Railroad Administration (FRA) for a 

waiver of compliance from certain 

provisions of the Federal railroad safety 

regulations. Specifically, IRM requests 

relief from certain provisions of 49 CFR 

part 230, Steam Locomotive Inspection 

and Maintenance Standards. FRA 

assigned the petition Docket Number 

FRA–2015–0013. 

IRM is a railroad museum that 

maintains and operates Number 1630, a 

2–10–0 ‘‘Decapod’’ type steam 

locomotive built by Baldwin 

Locomotive Works in 1918. IRM 

typically operates Number 1630 for 31 

or fewer service days per year and 

expects to do so for the future. IRM 

requests relief from performing the fifth 

annual inspection as it pertains to the 

inspection of flexible staybolt caps 

every 5 years as required by 49 CFR 

230.41(a), and requests to extend the 

inspection interval to 2,760 calendar 

days (7.5 years) after the locomotive 

entered service on May 24, 2014. IRM 

will perform all other inspections as 

required by 49 CFR 230.16, Annual 

inspection. IRM’s justification for 

requesting this relief is that the current 

level of safety would be maintained due 

to the low number of service days 

accrued in this engine since the last 

flexible staybolt cap inspection. There 

will be a significant cost savings as the 

IRM shop forces would not be required 

to remove the cab, piping, jacketing, and 

insulation to gain access to the caps to 

perform the flexible staybolt cap 

inspection. 

A copy of the petition, as well as any 

written communications concerning the 

petition, is available for review online at 

www.regulations.gov and in person at 

the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 

(DOT) Docket Operations Facility, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590. The Docket 

Operations Facility is open from 9 a.m. 

to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal Holidays. 

Interested parties are invited to 

participate in these proceedings by 

submitting written views, data, or 

comments. FRA does not anticipate 

scheduling a public hearing in 

connection with these proceedings since 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

13460 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 49 / Friday, March 13, 2015 / Notices 

the facts do not appear to warrant a 

hearing. If any interested party desires 

an opportunity for oral comment, they 

should notify FRA, in writing, before 

the end of the comment period and 

specify the basis for their request. 

All communications concerning these 

proceedings should identify the 

appropriate docket number and may be 

submitted by any of the following 

methods: 

• Web site: http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

• Mail: Docket Operations Facility, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Room W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. 

and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal Holidays. 

Communications received by April 

27, 2015 will be considered by FRA 

before final action is taken. Comments 

received after that date will be 

considered as far as practicable. 

Anyone is able to search the 

electronic form of any written 

communications and comments 

received into any of our dockets by the 

name of the individual submitting the 

comment (or signing the document, if 

submitted on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). In 

accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT 

solicits comments from the public to 

better inform its processes. 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. See also http://

www.regulations.gov/#!privacyNotice 

for the privacy notice of regulations.gov. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on March 10, 

2015. 

Ron Hynes, 

Director, Office of Technical Oversight. 

[FR Doc. 2015–05752 Filed 3–12–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. FMCSA–2013–0386] 

Parts and Accessories Necessary for 

Safe Operation; Grant of Temporary 

Exemption for Volvo/Prevost LLC 

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of final disposition. 

SUMMARY: The Federal Motor Carrier 

Safety Administration (FMCSA) 

announces its decision to grant Volvo/ 

Prevost, LLC’s (Volvo/Prevost) 

application for a limited two-year 

exemption from 49 CFR 393.60(e)(1) on 

behalf of motor carriers that will be 

operating commercial motor vehicles 

(CMV) manufactured by the company to 

use lane departure warning (LDW) 

systems mounted in the windshield area 

at a height lower than what is currently 

allowed by the regulation. The LDW 

system alerts drivers who 

unintentionally drift out of their lane of 

travel, thus promoting improved safety 

performance. The Agency has 

determined that the placement of the 

LDW system camera in the windshield 

area would not have an adverse impact 

on safety and that the terms and 

conditions of the exemption would 

achieve a level of safety equivalent to or 

greater than the level of safety provided 

by the regulation. 

DATES: This exemption is effective from 

March 13, 2015 through March 13, 2017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Mike Huntley, Vehicle and Roadside 

Operations Division, Office of Carrier, 

Driver, and Vehicle Safety, MC–PSV, 

(202) 366–4325, Federal Motor Carrier 

Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590– 

0001. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments submitted to the notice 

requesting public comments on the 

exemption application, go to 

www.regulations.gov at any time or visit 

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., ET, Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. The online Federal document management 

system is available 24 hours each day, 

365 days each year. The docket number 

is listed at the beginning of this notice. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

FMCSA has authority under 49 U.S.C. 

31136(e) and 31315 to grant exemptions 

from certain parts of the Federal Motor 

Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR). 

FMCSA must publish a notice of each 

exemption request in the Federal 

Register (49 CFR 381.315(a)). The 

Agency must provide the public an 

opportunity to inspect the information 

relevant to the application, including 

any safety analyses that have been 

conducted. The Agency must also 

provide an opportunity for public 

comment on the request. 

The Agency reviews safety analyses 

and public comments submitted, and 

determines whether granting the 

exemption would likely achieve a level 

of safety equivalent to, or greater than, 

the level that would be achieved by the 

current regulation (49 CFR 381.305). 

The decision of the Agency must be 

published in the Federal Register (49 

CFR 381.315(b)) with the reasons for 

denying or granting the application and, 

if granted, the name of the person or 

class of persons receiving the 

exemption, and the regulatory provision 

from which the exemption is granted. 

The notice must also specify the 

effective period and explain the terms 

and conditions of the exemption. The 

exemption may be renewed (49 CFR 

381.300(b)). 

Volvo/Prevost’s Application for 

Exemption 

Volvo/Prevost applied for an 

exemption from 49 CFR 393.60(e)(1) to 

allow the installation of an LDW system 

on motorcoaches purchased by its 

customers. A copy of the application is 

included in the docket referenced at the 

beginning of this notice. 

Section 393.60(e)(1) of the FMCSRs 

prohibits the obstruction of the driver’s 

field of view by devices mounted at the 

top of the windshield. Antennas, 

transponders and similar devices must 

not be mounted more than 152 mm (6 

inches) below the upper edge of the 

windshield. These devices must be 

located outside the area swept by the 

windshield wipers and outside the 

driver’s sight lines to the road and 

highway signs and signals. 

The application stated: 

Volvo/Prevost is making this request so it 

is possible to introduce a Lane Departure 

Warning system in line with [the] NHTSA 

Bus Safety plan as it already did for several 

other safety features. The camera must be 

installed in the wiper swept area of [the] 

windshield for the system to perform 

correctly because it must have a clear 

forward facing view of the road. On a today’s 

typical coach the lower part of the 

windshield is outside the driver’s sight lines 

to the road and highway signs and signals 

which is different from a truck. Therefore, we 

request the installation of the camera on the 

lower part of the windshield within the 

bottom 7 inches of the wiper swept area. 

In addition, Volvo/Prevost noted that 

without the proposed temporary 

exemption, it would not be able to 

deploy the LDW system in 

motorcoaches because (1) its customers 

would be fined for violating the current 

regulation, (2) the LDW system would 

not perform adequately and would not 

bring the safety benefits expected, and 

(3) the camera would be more in the 

field of view of the driver. Volvo/

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES