Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/06/22/2015-15177/hours-of-service-of-drivers-us-department-of-energy-doe-application-for-renewal-of-exemption
Timestamp: 2017-10-22 01:29:41
Document Index: 544423511

Matched Legal Cases: ['§\u2009395', '§\u2009395', '§\u2009395', '§\u2009395', '§\u2009381', '§\u2009395']

Federal Register :: Hours of Service of Drivers: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); Application for Renewal of Exemption
Hours of Service of Drivers: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); Application for Renewal of Exemption
This exemption is effective from June 30, 2015 through June 30, 2017.
80 FR 35703
2015-15177
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2015-15177 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2015-15177
FMCSA announces its decision to grant the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) request for a renewal of its exemption from the minimum 30-minute rest break provision of the Agency's hours-of-service (HOS) regulations for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The exemption will enable DOE's contract motor carriers and their employee-drivers transporting security-sensitive radioactive materials to be treated the same as drivers transporting explosives. The exempted drivers will be allowed to use 30 minutes or more of on-duty “attendance time” to meet the HOS rest Start Printed Page 35704break requirements providing they do not perform any other work during the break.
The initial DOE exemption application for relief from the HOS rule was submitted in 2012; a copy of that application is in the docket. That application fully described the nature of DOE's security-sensitive operations. On May 31, 2013, the Agency granted DOE's current exemption [78 FR 32700]. That exemption expires on June 30, 2015.
Certain motor carriers under contract to DOE transport “security-sensitive radioactive materials.” DOE requested a renewal of an exemption from the HOS regulation pertaining to rest breaks [49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(ii)] to allow contract driver-employees transporting security-sensitive radioactive materials to be treated the same as drivers transporting explosives, as provided in § 395.1(q). Section 395.1(q) allows drivers of CMVs carrying Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 explosives who are subject to the requirement for a 30-minute off-duty rest break in § 395.3(a)(3)(ii) to use 30 minutes or more of on-duty “attendance time” to meet the requirement for a rest break, provided they perform no other work.
In its exemption request, DOE contended that shipments of security-sensitive radioactive materials require a team of two drivers and the use of a sleeper berth to minimize risk and expedite delivery in a safe and secure manner. DOE asserted that granting the exemption would allow team drivers to manage their enroute rest periods efficiently and also perform mandated shipment security surveillance, resulting in a safe and secure driving performance during a long distance trip.
DOE states that it has instituted several technical and administrative controls to ensure the effective use of driver on-duty and rest-break time, which would remain in effect under the requested exemption. They include the following:
Continuous monitoring of the safety performance of DOE-qualified motor carriers using the FMCSA Compliance Safety Accountability Program's Safety Measurement System, and DOE's Motor Carrier Evaluation Program.
Further details regarding DOE's safety controls can be found in its application for exemption, which can be accessed in the docket identified at the beginning of this notice. DOE contends that these controls enable it to achieve a high level of safety and security for transportation of security-sensitive radioactive materials.
DOE anticipates no safety impacts from this exemption and notes that in the preamble to the FMCSA final rule on the “Hours of Service of Drivers,” dated December 27, 2011 (76 FR 81134), the Agency addressed concerns from commenters regarding rest breaks for carriers of hazardous materials. The Agency cited a recent study showing that on-duty breaks reduce the risk of crashes after the break (76 FR 81154).
DOE believes that its contract employee drivers should continue to be allowed to follow the requirements in § 395.1(q) when transporting shipments of security-sensitive radioactive materials. DOE believes that shipments made under the exemption would achieve a level of safety and security that is at least equivalent to that which would be obtained by following the normal break requirement in § 395.3(a)(3)(ii).
DOE estimated that 30 power units and 53 drivers would currently be eligible for the exemption, if renewed. The exemption will be effective from June 30, 2015 through June 30, 2017, the maximum period allowed by § 381.300. A copy of DOE's exemption application is available for review in the docket for this notice.
On March 27, 2015, FMCSA published notice of this application, and asked for public comment (80 FR 16506). There were no comments submitted to the docket.
The FMCSA has evaluated DOE's application for renewal of the exemption. The Agency believes that DOE's contract carriers will likely achieve a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety achieved without the exemption [49 CFR 381.305(a)].
The exemption from the requirements of 49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(ii) is granted for the period from 12:01 a.m., June 30, Start Printed Page 357052015, through 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2017.
The exemption is restricted to DOE's contract driver-employees transporting security-sensitive radioactive materials. This exemption is limited to the provisions of 49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(ii) to allow contract driver-employees transporting security-sensitive radioactive materials to be treated the same as drivers transporting explosives, as provided in § 395.1(q). These drivers must comply with all other applicable provisions of the FMCSRs.
The DOE must notify FMCSA within 5 business days of any accident (as defined in 49 CFR 390.5), involving any of the motor carrier's CMVs operating under the terms of this exemption. The notification must include the following information:
a. Exemption Identity: “DOE”
[FR Doc. 2015-15177 Filed 6-19-15; 8:45 am]