ALTOONA, Wisconsin USA — On Thursday of this past week, Mark Bundick, President of the National Association of Rocketry received a letter from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms' updating the issue of Low Explosives Users Permits and storage requirements. Mr. Bundick had written the BATF in September of this year requesting an exemption letter previously alluded to by BATF representatives participating in the NAFP meetings shaping high power rocketry rules and regulations.

The letter to Mr. Bundick, dated November 26th, 1997 from Jimmy Wooton, Assistant Director of the Explosives and Arson division, stated:

"As you know, ATF is responsible for the administration of the Federal explosives law under 18 U.S.C., Chapter 40. Currently, the regulation covering the indoor storage of low explosives, 27 CFR 55.210(b), states that no indoor magazine may be located in a residence or dwelling. An attached garage of a single family residence is considered part of the residence and the storage of explosive materials in that garage is prohibitied under 27 CFR 55.210(b)(1). We apologize for the misunderstanding but ATF cannot issue a blanket exemption for your members to store explosive materials in an attached garage of a single family residence."

These comments fly directly in the face of comments shared with the high power rocketry community by various participants and rocketry organizations.

Mr. Bundick indicated he was contacting the BATF again to discuss outstanding variances already issued by local inspectors, and the possibility of ATF working with the national organizations to establish guidelines for such variances.