2024-27269. Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Application for an Exemption From Coffeyville Resources Crude Transportation, USDOT#1236378

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Department of Transportation

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

1. [Docket No. FMCSA-2024-0238]

AGENCY:

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Department of Transportation.

ACTION:

Notice of application for exemption; request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requests public comment on an application from Coffeyville Resources Crude Transportation, USDOT No. 1236378, (Coffeyville) for an exemption from the requirement that lighting devices be steady burning. The exemption would allow the company to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) equipped with a module manufactured by Intellistop, Inc. (Intellistop) which pulses the rear clearance, identification, and brake lamps from low-level lighting intensity to high-level lighting intensity 4 times in 2 seconds when the brakes are applied. FMCSA requests public comment on the applicant's request for exemption.

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before December 23, 2024.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) Number FMCSA-2024-0238 by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. See the Public Participation and Request for Comments section below for further information.
• Mail: Dockets Operations, 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, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. E.T., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
• Fax: [phone].

Each submission must include the Agency name and the docket number (FMCSA-2024-0238) for this notice. Note that DOT posts all comments received without change to 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 www.regulations.gov at any time or visit 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. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call [phone] or [phone] before visiting Dockets Operations.

Privacy Act: In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315(b), DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its exemption process. DOT posts these comments, 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 https://www.transportation.gov/​privacy. The comments are posted without edit and are searchable by the name of the submitter.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. David Sutula, Vehicle and Roadside Operations Division, Office of Carrier, Driver, and Vehicle Safety, FMCSA, at [phone], or by email at [e-mail].

If you have questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, contact Dockets Operations at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Public Participation and Request for Comments

A. Submitting Comments

If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this notice (Docket No. FMCSA-2024-0238), ( print page 92275) indicate the specific section of this document to which your comment applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and material online or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but please use only one of these means. FMCSA recommends that you include your name and a mailing address, an email address, or a phone number in the body of your document so that FMCSA can contact you if it has questions regarding your submission.

To submit your comment online, go to https://www.regulations.gov/​docket/​FMCSA-2024-0238/​document, click on this notice, click “Comment,” and type your comment into the text box on the following screen.

If you submit your comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 8 1/2 by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing.

FMCSA will consider all comments and material received during the comment period. Comments received after the comment closing date will be filed in the public docket and will be considered to the extent practicable.

B. Confidential Business Information (CBI)

CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to the notice contain commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to the notice, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission that constitutes CBI as “PROPIN” to indicate it contains proprietary information. FMCSA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the Freedom of Information Act, and they will not be placed in the public docket of the notice. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Brian Dahlin, Chief, Regulatory Evaluation Division, Office of Policy, FMCSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001 or via email at [e-mail]. At this time, you need not send a duplicate hardcopy of your electronic CBI submissions to FMCSA headquarters. Any comments FMCSA receives not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this notice.

C. Viewing Comments and Documents

To view comments, as well as any documents mentioned in this preamble as being available in the docket, go to https://www.regulations.gov/​docket/​FMCSA-2024-0238/​document and choose the document to review. To view comments, click this notice, then click “Browse Comments.” If you do not have access to the internet, you may view the docket online by visiting Docket Operations on the ground floor of the DOT West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., ET Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call [phone] or [phone] before visiting Dockets Operations.

II. Legal Basis

FMCSA has authority under 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315(b) to grant exemptions from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). 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 the applicant's safety analysis. The Agency must 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(a)). The Agency must publish its decision in the Federal Register (49 CFR 381.315(b)). If granted, the notice will identify the regulatory provision from which the applicant will be exempt, the effective period, and all terms and conditions of the exemption (49 CFR 381.315(c)(1)). If the exemption is denied, the notice will explain the reason for the denial (49 CFR 381.315(c)(2)). The exemption may be renewed (49 CFR 381.300(b)).

III. Coffeyville's Request

Coffeyville seeks an exemption from the requirement in 49 CFR 393.25(e) that all exterior lamps (both required lamps and any additional lamps) be steady burning, except for turn signal lamps, hazard warning signal lamps, school bus warning lamps, amber warning lamps or flashing warning lamps on tow trucks and CMVs transporting oversized loads, and warning lamps on emergency and service vehicles authorized by State or local authorities.

Coffeyville asserts that using the Intellistop module, which pulses the rear clearance, identification, and brake lamps from low-level lighting intensity to high-level lighting intensity 4 times in 2 seconds when the brakes are applied rather than providing steady burning lamps during the first 2 seconds, would enhance rear signal systems. Coffeyville submits that pulsing the rear brake lamps of a CMV may significantly increase visibility and reduce the frequency of rear-end crashes, and thus would maintain a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level that the CMV would achieve without the requested exemption.

On October 7, 2022, FMCSA denied Intellistop's application for an industry-wide exemption to allow all motor carriers to operate CMVs equipped with Intellistop's module. (87 FR 61133.) FMCSA noted that the decision did not preclude individual motor carriers from seeking an exemption from 49 CFR 393.25(e) to purchase, install, and use Intellistop's device subject to terms and conditions to allow sufficient monitoring of the use of the device. Therefore, consistent with the October 7, 2022, decision, the Agency seeks public comment on Coffeyville's carrier-specific exemption application.

A copy of Coffeyville's application is included in the docket referenced at the beginning of this notice.

IV. Request for Comments

In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315(b), FMCSA requests public comment from all interested persons on Coffeyville's application for a five-year exemption from 49 CFR 393.25(e) to allow the company to operate CMVs equipped with Intellistop's module which pulses the rear clearance, identification and brake lamps from low-level lighting intensity to high-level lighting intensity 4 times in 2 seconds when the brakes are applied.

All comments received before the close of business on the comment closing date will be considered and will be available for examination in the docket at the location listed under the ADDRESSES section of this notice. Comments received after the comment closing date will be filed in the public docket and may be considered 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 ( print page 92276) persons should continue to examine the public docket for new material.

Larry W. Minor,

Associate Administrator for Policy.