Ammonium Nitrate Security Program

The Ammonium Nitrate Security Program is a proposed regulation developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in response to direction from Congress to "regulate the sale and transfer of ammonium nitrate by an ammonium nitrate facility ... to prevent the misappropriation or use of ammonium nitrate in an act of terrorism."

The Ammonium Nitrate Security Program is outlined in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), and seeks to reduce the likelihood of a terrorist attack involving misused ammonium nitrate by creating a registration program for purchasers and sellers of ammonium nitrate. Each purchaser and seller will be required to apply for an Ammonium Nitrate (AN) Registered User Number with the Department, and each applicant will be screened against the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB). Following the screening process, approved individuals will be issued an AN Registered User Number, which will allow them to engage in the sale, purchase, or transfer of ammonium nitrate.

Transactions involving the sale or transfer of ammonium nitrate will be regulated at the point of sale and procedures for reporting a theft or loss of ammonium nitrate will be established. Ammonium nitrate sellers will be required to deny sale or transfer of ammonium nitrate to individuals who:

• Do not possess a valid AN Registered User Number accompanied by a valid photo ID; or
• Are not authorized by a person possessing a valid AN Registered User Number to act on their behalf as an agent.

The regulation will require businesses to keep records of all ammonium nitrate transactions for two years, and DHS may inspect and audit facility records to ensure compliance.

Priority Precursor Chemicals Study

On August 1, 2016, the Department awarded a contract to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the Academies) to conduct a study titled “Reducing the Threat of Improvised Explosive Device Attacks by Restricting Access to Chemical Explosive Precursors,”  researching possible paths forward to safeguard the Nation’s people, infrastructure, and economy from terrorist use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Under the oversight of the Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology at the Academies, an ad hoc committee will identify and prioritize a list chemicals that have been used or are susceptible for use in IEDs either in the U.S. or internationally, analyze how the priority chemicals move through commercial supply chains, assess existing control measures for the priority chemicals, and suggest controls that might be effective for a voluntary or regulatory strategy.

On October 4, 2016, the Academies selected provisional members of the study committee, which consists of experts from the academic, industrial, and national lab sectors. Expertise on the committee includes chemistry, energetic materials, commercial supply chain operations, security, and law enforcement. For more information regarding the committee, please visit the Academies’ website.

For all questions and inquiries about this study, please contact CFATS@hq.dhs.gov.

Ammonium Nitrate Security Statutes and Regulations

Read more about the statues and regulations that govern ammonium nitrate.