For example, during a recent 3-year period  (January 2002—February 2005), 9 thefts involving state and local  government storage facilities were reported. By comparison, during this same period, ATF received reports of  205 explosives thefts nationwide from all sources. Based on these findings, the actual  number of thefts occurring at state and local government storage facilities  nationwide could be more than the number identified by ATF data. Since January 2002,  ATF has conducted 77 voluntary inspections at state and local storage  facilities—34 inspections at facilities that ATF shares with state and local  agencies and 43 inspections at other state and local facilities. ATF Does Not Collect Nationwide Information about State and Local Government Storage Facilities, but Does So for Licensed Private Sector Facilities

According to ATF officials, ATF does not collect nationwide information  on the number and location of state and local government explosives  storage facilities, nor does the agency know the types and amounts of  explosives being stored in these facilities. As a result, no systematic  information about these facilities is collected. By comparison, ATF collects a variety of information about private sector  explosives storage facilities, primarily under its authority to issue  explosives licenses. ATF also collects information  about private sector storage facilities during mandatory licensee  inspections. Because state and local government storage facilities are exempt  from the licensing process described above, they are not required to  submit licensing-related information about their storage facility to ATF  and they are not subject to licensing-related mandatory ATF inspections. Although no electronic  security is required under federal regulations, 4 of the 18 explosives  storage facilities had either an alarm or a video monitoring system in  place. These circumstances appeared to be related to storage safety  issues, rather than storage security. Further,  because ATF does not oversee state and local government storage  facilities as part of the federal licensing process and ATF does not have  any other statutory authority to conduct regulatory inspections of these  facilities, ATF’s ability to monitor the potential vulnerability of these  facilities to theft or assess the extent to which these facilities are in  compliance with federal explosives storage regulations is limited. However, during the course of our audit work, we identified  five incidents involving theft or missing explosives at state and local  government facilities, one of which had not been reported to ATF. Appendix I: Scope and Methodology

In reviewing the security of state and local government explosives storage  facilities, we focused on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and  Explosives’ (ATF) role in overseeing and regulating these facilities,  including the extent to which ATF’s licensing operations address state and  local government facilities and what authority ATF has to enforce federal  explosives law and regulations at state and local government facilities. State and Local Site Visits

To find out what selected states and localities are doing to ensure the safe  and secure storage of explosives in state and local government facilities,  we visited 14 state and local government entities that stored explosives, as  shown in table 4 below. We also obtained data from ATF on incidents  of explosive thefts and missing explosives at state and local government  storage facilities.
Why GAO Did This Study

More than 5.5 billion pounds of explosives are used each year in the United States by private sector companies and government entities. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has authority to regulate explosives and to license privately owned explosives storage facilities. After the July 2004 theft of several hundred pounds of explosives from a state and local government storage facility, concerns arose about vulnerability to theft. GAO analyzed (1) the extent of explosives thefts from state and local government facilities, (2) ATF's authority to regulate and oversee state and local government explosives storage facilities, (3) the information ATF collects about state and local government storage facilities, and (4) security oversight measures in place at selected state and local government storage facilities.

What GAO Found

Judging from available ATF data, there have been few thefts of explosives from state and local government storage facilities. From January 2002 to February 2005, ATF received only 9 reports of thefts or missing explosives from state and local facilities, compared with a total of 205 explosives thefts reported nationwide during this same period. During the course of our audit, we found evidence of 5 thefts from state and local government facilities, 1 of which did not appear in ATF's national database on thefts and missing explosives. Thus, the actual number of thefts occurring at state and local storage facilities could be higher than that identified by ATF data. ATF has no authority to oversee or inspect all state and local government explosives storage facilities. State and local government agencies are not required to obtain a license from ATF to use and store explosives, and only licensees--such as private sector explosives storage facilities--are subject to mandatory oversight. As a result, ATF has no means to ensure that state and local government facilities are in compliance with federal regulations. While ATF does not collect nationwide information about state and local government explosives storage facilities, information about some of these facilities is collected--for example, when facility operators voluntarily request an ATF inspection. Since January 2002, ATF has conducted 77 voluntary inspections at state and local storage facilities and found no systemic violations. By comparison, all licensed private sector facilities must submit a variety of information about their facility--including location and security measures in place--to ATF during the licensing process. ATF also collects information about these facilities during mandatory inspections. At the 18 state and local government storage facilities we visited, a variety of security measures were in place, including locked gates, fencing, patrols, and in some cases, electronic surveillance. All the facilities' officials told GAO that they conducted routine inventories. But most were not required to be licensed or inspected by state or local regulatory agencies. We identified several instances of possible noncompliance with federal regulations, related primarily to storage safety issues rather than security.