Pryor Says Slow Progress on Fertilizer Law Endangers Americans

Press Release

U.S. Senator Mark Pryor today said terrorists still have access to unlimited amounts of fertilizer used to make highly explosive bombs because the Department of Homeland Security has failed to implement legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush in 2007.

In a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano, Pryor questioned the slow progress the department is making to implement legislation that would limit who could purchase and sell ammonium nitrate fertilizer. The law requires the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that any person that produces, stores, sells or distributes ammonium nitrate registers their facility and maintains records of sales or distribution of the product. Buyers would be checked against a terrorist screening database. Vendors who fail to comply with security regulations may be fined up to $50,000. The provisions are intended to deter and prevent non-legitimate users from purchasing ammonium nitrate.

In his letter, Pryor states, "I urge you to take every possible action to complete the timely implementation of these regulations. As the Times Square bombing attempt has shown, terrorists are actively working to attack us at all times. These regulations will make it more difficult for terrorists to access the explosive precursors that enable them to take lives and terrorize communities."

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