Ammonium Nitrate Law Begins

Get set to also register your ammonium nitrate records with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate Act of 2007 was recently signed into law by President George W. Bush. Sponsored by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AZ), the ammonium nitrate security bill will create a uniform, federal registration and tracking system for ammonium nitrate fertilizer.

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Under the proposal, DHS will create a regulatory system that requires all ammonium nitrate facilities and purchasers to register with the agency. All registrations are to be checked against the terrorist watch list with an opportunity for an expedited reviews and notifications on status of the application.

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Facilities are required to maintain sales records for two years. This information would include the purchaser’s name, address, phone, and registration numbers as well as the amount of product sold and date.

DHS is required to meet with other federal agencies, including USDA, to establish a threshold percentage of ammonium nitrate in a substance. The Agricultural Retailers Association believes DHS is likely to propose a threshold percentage similar to the one already established by the agency for solid ammonium nitrate under their Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS). Under the chemical security regulations, DHS’s definition for solid ammonium nitrate is a nitrogen concentration of 23 percent or greater.
 

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