Strict regulations proposed for nine explosive chemicals
Canadian Press
OTTAWA -- The federal government plans to tightly regulate nine chemicals it says can be used by terrorists to build bombs.
Proposed regulations under the Explosives Act, made public yesterday, would require companies selling the restricted materials to register with the
government, keep meticulous inventory records and notify police if they believe a customer will use the materials to build bombs.
"The Toronto-area terrorist plot to use ammonium nitrate to build bombs, which was foiled in early June of 2006, is a strong indication that
regulatory controls are urgently needed to ensure that restricted components are protected from future attempts of acquisition for terrorist and
criminal use," a release from Natural Resources Canada says.
"A number of chemicals that are neither defined nor regulated as explosives can be readily used by terrorists and criminals to fabricate bombs."
The new list of chemicals was drawn from a 1998 U.S. National Research Council report that identified the same nine ingredients that can be readily
adapted as explosives. The chemicals include ammonium nitrate and concentrated forms of hydrogen peroxide, the chemical the alleged British terrorists
apparently planned to use this week to down U.S. airplanes.
Hydrogen peroxide is the only chemical on the list readily available to consumers in drug stores, as a disinfectant, but at far weaker concentrations
that would not be covered by the proposed regulations.
Department spokeswoman Viviane Dewyse said the regulations have been under development for two years and were not prompted by the Toronto terrorist
plot or by this week's British terrorism arrests.
"This is not linked with the events of Thursday," she said in an interview.
Companies selling the nine chemicals will have to maintain lists of workers who have access to the restricted materials and have secure storage
facilities. They must also closely examine a purchaser's identification. Detailed sales records are also required.
The new regulations would be applied to sales of even small quantities, Ms. Dewyse said.
"There is no minimum, so it would be whoever sells any of these components, whatever the quantity is."
Interested parties have 90 days to comment on the proposed rules, which are expected to be in place by the end of the year.
The proposed list of restricted chemicals: -- ammonium nitrate in solid form, at a concentration of 28 per cent to 34 per cent nitrogen -- nitric acid
at a concentration of at least 68 per cent -- nitromethane -- hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of at least 30 per cent -- potassium nitrate --
sodium nitrate -- potassium chlorate -- sodium chlorate -- potassium perchlorate. |