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| Wilson, Lantos Introduce Explosives Security Bill |
March 03, 2006 |
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Legislation Will Tighten Requirements for Safeguarding Explosives
Washington, DC – Reps. Heather Wilson (R-NM) and Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) today announced the introduction of the bipartisan Safe and Secure Explosives Act (H.R. 4877) this week to strengthen federal rules safeguarding explosives like those stolen in Albuquerque in late December 2005.
On Sunday, December 18, 2005, several hundred pounds of explosives and several thousand blasting caps were stolen from a private facility southwest of Albuquerque.
The Wilson-Lantos bill revises federal regulations that have proven inadequate for safeguarding large quantities of explosives and the devices needed to detonate them.
"These rules should be updated," says Wilson, who spoke to ATF agents to learn more about the guidelines following the report of the theft. "The Albuquerque storage facility was in compliance with federal guidelines, yet was an easy target. Let’s strengthen the requirements for public safety.”
The Wilson-Lantos bill instructs the Justice Department to conduct and complete a study examining storage practices for explosive materials, and the technological capabilities of the storage places. It requires that within six months of completing the survey, the attorney general will issue new minimum standards secure storage of explosive materials, using the results of the study and the quantity of materials as a guideline. The bill allows for the Justice Department to assess violations on private entities.
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