Week of July 20, 2007
Greetings! Hope you have had a notable and excellent week! This week's offerings include an update on the flooding at TTB Headquarters, information on COLAS Online eNews, and permit requirements for home ethanol producers.
In the TTB Newsletter, we compile the top TTB news of the week and other helpful information about the Bureau and the Federal alcohol and tobacco laws and regulations we enforce. Please send any questions and/or comments to Susan Stewart, Executive Liaison for Industry Matters (susan.stewart@ttb.gov) and/or Frosty Chapman, State Liaison (forrest.chapman@ttb.gov). TTB Newsletter Archives |
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TTB HEADQUARTERS REOPENED THURSDAY, JULY 12
TTB headquarters returned to normal operations as of Thursday, July 12, 2007. We experienced a valve failure in a water pipe on the upper floors of our headquarters building in Washington, D.C. As a result, significant flooding occurred on all three floors occupied by TTB, including the computer data center located in the headquarters building. Because of this, TTB headquarters personnel worked from their homes Tuesday, July 10 and Wednesday, July 11, 2007, utilizing the comprehensive and secure computer access capability developed by TTB for use at remote locations for employees using either their TTB laptops or home-based computers. Currently all applications, including the ability to receive incoming facsimiles, are operating normally.
COLAs ONLINE eNEWS
COLAs Online eNews is a monthly electronic newsletter designed with the users of our Web-based label approval system in mind. Each issue provides useful and timely information that helps registered users understand and use COLAs Online to their best advantage. Some of the topics you can read about each month in COLAs Online eNews are:
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about COLAs Online
- Tips for obtaining faster label approval when using COLAs Online
- Definitions of key terms used in COLAs Online
- A 'How To' section
- Information about System Updates
You can read the newsletter online, or you can choose to receive the latest edition of COLAs Online eNews each month via e-mail by subscribing to e-mail updates.
Subscribe to automatically receive COLAs Online eNews by e-mail.
DISTILLATION OF ETHANOL
You may have seen news items on people distilling ethanol at home to supplement their gasoline needs. Unfortunately, some of the reports do not inform the public that it is illegal to distill alcohol without first obtaining a Federal permit through TTB. Failure to obtain a Federal permit prior to engaging in this activity is a criminal offence under the Internal Revenue Code.
Federal law provides for the issuance of Alcohol Fuel Plant (AFP) permits for persons who intend to produce, process, store, use, or distribute distilled spirits exclusively for fuel use. Persons wishing to distill ethanol for fuel use should contact TTB's National Revenue Center at 513-684-3334 in order to apply for a permit. There may also be additional permitting requirements and other restrictions on the State and local level.