Subject of Possible Rule Making: Permitting overlegal vehicles/loads responding to an emergent situation.

     Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 46.44.090.

     Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Responding to emergencies is a twenty-four hour, seven days-a-week possibility. When overlegal vehicles are involved there is also the impact to the infrastructure to consider. It seems appropriate to develop a rule that defines "emergency," establishes the need for the permitting process, and outlines what compliance criteria applies and what permitting process should be available. The rule will be the source criteria from which detailed procedures will be written.

     Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Washington state patrol, emergency management services, and department of natural resources. Contacts with each entity will be provided the concept and the draft of the new rule for their comments.

     Process for Developing New Rule: Agency request to meet need for criteria on which to base procedures.

     Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Barry Diseth, Commercial Vehicle Services, Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 47367, Olympia, WA 98504-7367, phone (360) 705-7805, fax (360) 705-6836, e-mail disethb@wsdot.wa.gov.

February 2, 2006

John F. Conrad

Assistant Secretary

Engineering and Regional Operations