Ammonium Nitrate Rule Completion Urged

According to an article posted on Icis.com the Fertilizer Institute is urging DHS to complete their drafting of a rule to require the registration of manufacturers and users of ammonium nitrate. The article notes that Congress required DHS to develop such a rule when they passed the 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act in December 2007 and an ANPRM was published last fall. I am sure that one of the reasons that TFI is pushing this issue now is that the fertilizer application season is fast approaching. The uncertainty about the regulations might make some distributors reluctant to place orders for this material. This would put the people on the production and utilization ends of the issue in a difficult position. Of course DHS could make the situation easier by issuing a statement to the effect that any ammonium nitrate regulations would not go into effect any earlier than August or September. This would ease the short term apprehension.