The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has granted a limited 90-day waiver from the federal hours-of-service regulations for the transportation of anhydrous ammonia from any distribution point to a local farm retailer or to the ultimate consumer, and from a local farm retailer to the ultimate consumer, as long as the transportation takes place within a 100 air-mile radius of the retail or wholesale distribution point.

The waiver extends the agricultural operations exemption established by section 345 of the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995, as amended by the sections 4115 and 4130 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), to certain motor carriers engaged in the distribution of anhydrous ammonia during the 2010 spring planting season.

FMCSA determined that the waiver likely would achieve a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level that would be achieved absent such exemption, based on the terms and conditions imposed. The waiver, which preempts inconsistent state and local requirements applicable to interstate commerce, became effective Monday, March 22, and expires on June 21.