Gov. Henry Approves Rules on Ammonium Nitrate Fertilizer Sales

Press Release: Gov. Brad Henry has approved state Department of Agriculture rules that restrict sales of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, a key component of the bomb used in the 1995 attack on Oklahoma City’s federal building.“Although it has been 10 years since a bomb of fertilizer and fuel destroyed the Murrah building, the impact of that deadly day still reverberates today,” the Governor said. “These rules are sensible and will help guard against similar tragedies occurring again. Oklahoma must remain vigilant as the specter of terrorism continues to loom over our state and nation.”Under the rules, retailers will have to obtain the name, address, telephone number and driver’s license number of customers who purchase ammonium nitrate fertilizer.Ammonium nitrate was a key ingredient in the homemade bomb that Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols used to destroy the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, an attack that killed 168 people and injured more than 500 others. Ammonium nitrate was also used in a 2002 terrorist bombing in Indonesia and twice in November, 2004, explosions in Turkey.