But the Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate Act of 2007 falls short of the strict law that some in the counter-terrorism community and federal law enforcement were hoping for.

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The law, which the fertilizer industry supported, leaves the U.S. with weaker controls on ammonium nitrate than Britain, Germany, Australia, Israel, Saudi Arabia and many other nations.

Under the new rules, the Department of Homeland Security will require that anyone who produces, stores, sells or distributes ammonium nitrate must register their facility and maintain records of sales. Buyers will be checked against a terrorist screening database. Vendors who fail to comply could be fined up to $50,000.

Source: www.newsday.com, L.A. Times