While members of Congress are enjoying a lengthy summer recess and cranking up activities in preparation for the November elections, the regulatory agencies continue to work on implementing programmatic reforms.

This week, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) released training materials for mobile and nonmobile regulated retail sellers of non-prescription cold medicines and other drugs containing pseudoephedrine, ephedrine or phenylpropanolamine. Earlier this year, the president signed into law the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005, which seeks to curb the availability of certain chemicals used to make methamphetamine. These chemicals are often present in common over-the-counter cold and allergy medications sold in convenience stores.

In a memo sent to all NACS retail members on Thursday, NACS Senior Vice President of Government Relations Lyle Beckwith summarized the training materials and provided copies of the official releases from the DEA. Beckwith’s memo and the training materials are available at NACS Online.

Also this week, NACS received letter dated July 28 and addressed to “Gasoline Retailers” from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the procedures that will be followed by a sampling program to test the compliance of ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel. The letter describes the manner in which the RFG Survey Association will obtain ULSD samples from retail, test their sulfur levels, and then communicate results back to the affected parties. The letter and back-up materials are also available at NACS Online.

Other than that, it was a pretty quiet week in Washington. Have a great weekend!

John Eichberger
Vice President, Government Relations