Washington-The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) on April 27 praised Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, for his success in securing unanimous committee approval of the “Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate Act of 2007” (H.R. 1680). Rep. Thompson has indicated he will now seek approval by the House. “We are grateful to Rep. Thompson for his diligent leadership in guiding this legislation through the homeland security committee,” said TFI President Ford West. “Through its creation of a uniform, national system for tracking ammonium nitrate sales, the committee is helping ensure that this valuable fertilizer remains available for its intended purpose.” The bill would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create a regulatory system to help keep ammonium nitrate out of the hands of those with criminal intent. The bill would require all producers, sellers, and purchasers who take custody to register with DHS. All registrations are to be checked against terrorist watch lists; in this regard, the bill also includes provisions for expedited reviews of registration applications, notification of application status, and appeals process. In addition, the bill would require producers and sellers to maintain records of all sales for two years, including the producer’s name, address, phone number, and registration number, and the date and quantity of ammonium nitrate sold. The bill, which does not preempt state law, requires all thefts or unexplained losses be reported to federal law enforcement within 24 hours. “We are pleased that the homeland security committee has spoken with a unanimous voice on this critical agricultural security issue,” said West. “We urge the full House to act swiftly to approve this key measure.”
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