John Wickman On Lobbying Efforts For Amatuer Rocketry

02/09/03 00:00:00    

By Michael Mealling

John Wickman notified the Arocket list concerning lobbying efforts to do what Tripoli and NAR are attempting with their lawsuit. The ATF classifies Ammonium Perchlorate (and other chemicals) as explosives when they clearly aren't (they burn very fast, they don't explode). Only in certain military circumstances do you want rocket propellants that explode. __Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2003 14:02:45 -0700

From: John Wickman

Subject: [AR] Rocketry Exemption in Safe Explosives Act

On Feb. 3rd, a letter was sent to the Director of the ATFE, Mr. Bradley

Buckles, by a member of the United States Senate. The letter states that

the ATFE has misclassified APCP as an explosive. Quoting from the Senator's

letter to Mr. Buckles, “Congress defined an explosive as any chemical

mixture or device whose primary or common purpose is to function by

explosion. I am told that the ATF claims that the primary or common purpose

of a rocket propellant (i.e., ammonium perchlorate composite propellant) is

to explode. A rocket propellant is not designed or intended to explode.”.

This Senator has taken the lead in fighting for our rocketry exemption and

contacted his good friend, Senator Bill Frist, on this issue. As Senate

Majority Leader, Senator Frist is in a position to help our cause

tremendously. Senator Frist has been asked to help us get the Congress to,

and I quote, “act immediately to make this technical correction to the

Homeland Security Act so rocketry is exempt for the Safe Explosives Act.”.

We are making progress and I will continue to keep you posted. You may post

this to newsgroups as you deem appropriate.

John Wickman

Amateur Rocketry Society of America

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