|
Become a friend of the Klamath Bucket Brigade All donations are tax deductible |
|
This Website is Dedicated to Alvin Alexander Cheyne January 10, 1921 - June 17, 2005 |
Farmers
urged to review new Homeland Security chemical guidelines
Jane
Moorman
Farmers
and agribusiness operators should review chemical guidelines and
determine whether they will be affected by a new U.S. Department of
Homeland Security regulation, according to Billy Dictson, director of
the office of bio-security at the Southwest Border Food Safety and
“In
an effort to increase the security of high-risk chemical facilities, the
Department of Homeland Security recently released a list of chemicals
that, if possessed by a facility in a specified quantity, would require
them to complete a Chemical Security Anti-Terrorism Top-Screen
assessment,” Dictson said. “Those required to go through this
initial screening must do so before Jan. 21.”
Failure
to comply with the regulations could result in civil penalties of up to
$25,000 per day or the shutdown of the facility.
“New
Mexico farmers and agribusinesses storing fertilizers, pesticides and
other chemicals might be affected by these new regulations, so it is
important that they quickly determine if they meet the new federal
requirements,” said Jeff Witte, New Mexico Department of
Agriculture’s director of the office of agriculture bio-security at
the Southwest Border Food Safety and Defense Center. “I urge all
producers and businesses to review the requirements and contact the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security if they have any questions.”
Chemicals
of interest and quantities that are most likely to affect agriculture
include, but are not limited to:
–
Chlorine: 2,500 pounds bulk, not bagged or in some other transportation
package.
– Chlorine: 500
pounds bagged, on a trailer or in some other transportation package.
– Anhydrous
ammonia: 10,000 pounds in typical pull behind tanks, completely loaded.
– Ammonium
nitrate: 2,000 pounds bagged, on a trailer or in some other
transportation package.
– Potassium
nitrate: 400 pounds bagged, on a trailer or in some other transportation
package.
- Sodium nitrate:
400 pounds bagged, on a trailer, or in some other transportation
package.
For
more information on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s
Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, or to view the chemicals of
interest list, visit http://www.dhs.gov/chemicalsecurity.
For
questions when completing the top screen, call the Chemical Facility
Anti-Terrorism Standards help desk at (866) 323-2957.
-------------------------------------
UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS NEWS BUREAU
Phone: (505) 646-3221
Fax: (505) 646-2099
E-mail: ucomm@nmsu.edu
More news about