The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued an emergency declaration and extension of state emergency declarations granted in accordance with Title 49 CFR sections 390.23 and 390.25, from Part 390 through 399 of the Federal Regulations, except as otherwise restricted by this declaration.
The emergency exemption is issued as a result of extreme arctic cold weather conditions causing shortages and interruptions in the availability and/or delivery of propane and other home heating fuels throughout the states affected in the Eastern Region to include: New York, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont and West Virginia. The exemption also applies region-wide to the transportation of salt or other ice/snow melt supplies needed to maintain the safety of the roadways.
This declaration provides for the regulatory relief for commercial motor vehicle operations while providing direct assistance supporting the delivery of propane, home heating fuels, salt or other ice/snow melt supplies into the affected areas and consumers in the above mentioned states during the emergency. Direct assistance terminates when a driver or commercial motor vehicle is used in interstate commerce to transport cargo or provide services not directly supporting the emergency relief effort.
Nothing in the declaration shall be construed as an exemption from the controlled substances and alcohol use and testing requirements, the commercial driver’s license requirements, the financial responsibility requirements (insurance), applicable size and weight requirements, or any other portion of the regulations not specifically authorized pursuant to 49 CFR section 390.23.
The declaration remains in effect for the duration of the emergency (as defined in Title 49 CFR section 390.5) or until 11:59 p.m., March 1, 2014, whichever is less.
The full declaration may be viewed here.
State-by-state emergency declarations may be viewed here.