February 3, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On September 21, 2009, President Barack Obama released his ``Strategy for American Innovation.'' The strategy outlines the Administration's plans to foster innovation for sustainable growth and the creation of high-quality jobs.

This notice announces EPA's order for the amendments to terminate uses, voluntarily requested by the registrants and accepted by the Agency, of products containing the pesticide methyl bromide listed in Table 1, pursuant to section 6(f)(1) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended. This order follows a September 30, 2009 Federal Register Notice of Receipt of Requests from the registrants listed in Table 2 to amend to terminate post-harvest methyl bromide uses in or on alfalfa hay and cottonseed for these product registrations. These are the last products containing the pesticide methyl bromide registered for use on alfalfa hay and cotton seed in the United States. In the September 30, 2009 notice, EPA indicated that it would issue an order implementing the amendments to terminate uses, unless the Agency received substantive comments within the 30-day comment period that would merit its further review of these requests, or unless the registrants withdrew their requests within this period. The Agency did not receive any comments on the notice. Further, the registrants did not withdraw their requests. Accordingly, EPA hereby issues in this notice a cancellation order granting the requested amendments to terminate uses. Any distribution, sale, or use of the products subject to this cancellation order is permitted only in accordance with the terms of this order, including any existing stocks provisions.

On August 18, 2009, the Department of Labor (DOL) published an interim final rule in order to administer the death gratuity created by section 1105 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, Public Law 110-181. Section 1105 provides a death gratuity payment to eligible survivors of federal employees and non-appropriated fund instrumentality employees (NAFI employees) who die of injuries incurred in connection with service with an Armed Force in a contingency operation.