NEW YORK ( CNN ) -- A man who stored nearly 1,500 pounds of potassium nitrate and other chemicals in his Staten Island home and a nearby storage facility was charged with reckless endangerment Friday , according to the New York City Police Department . Police said Miguel Serrano , 57 , had bought the chemicals in bulk from an Ohio-based dealer and was intending to resell them in smaller quantities on the Internet . It was the dealer who tipped off the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives after Serrano had ordered 5,000 pounds of potassium nitrate , according to a police report . According to New York Police Sgt . Kevin Hayes , authorities found less than a thousand pounds of chemicals in the home , including potassium nitrate , sulfur , mercury , and peroxide . At the off-site storage facility , authorities found about 1,500 pounds of chemicals , mainly potassium nitrate . Late Thursday night , several residential blocks were cordoned off and a few dozen homes were evacuated in Staten Island as police searched Serrano 's home and a nearby commercial storage facility . The NYPD 's Paul Brown said there is no indication the chemicals were being used for bomb-making or anything terror-related . According to Brown , the man was buying the chemicals in bulk and reselling them on the Internet . Potassium nitrate can be used to make gunpowder and rocket fuel or to clean septic tanks . It can also be used to cure meats . Police said Serrano has been cooperating with investigators . ATF officials said no violations of federal explosives laws were discovered , but added that chemical-storage rules may have been violated . Small quantities of hydrogen peroxide , potassium permanganate , elemental mercury , iodine , sulfur , ammonium dichromate , and aluminum powder were also recovered during the raid , police said . E-mail to a friend .
Potassium nitrate , other chemicals , intended to be sold in small quantities . Potassium nitrate used in gunpowder but also has many legitimate uses . It is a very common ingredient of baking soda and can be found as an additive for food products such as bread or pasta. Area round his Staten Island home was cordoned off .