The firm at the centre of a row over storage of ammonium nitrate at Chatham Docks says it was never told it needed a special permit to store the potentially explosive material.

Arcelor Mittal, based at Chatham Docks, says it consulted the council about it two years ago, but was told it was the responsibility of the port authority.

The Medway Messenger understands it was only on the insistence of a health and safety inspector that the council accepted responsibility for issuing a hazardous chemical permit.

Ancelor Mittal Kent Wire Ltd and its subsidiary, TSS, have been at the centre of a storm of protest about plans to store the chemical.

There is also concern that information about the company’s plans was not made public by officials much earlier.

It is felt that, had a full explanation been given, fears of a possible explosion would not have escalated in the way they did.

The company says it’s been handling the nitrates at Chatham Docks since early 2006. It says the chemical is low grade, and is taken from the docks directly to farms for use as fertiliser.

But the company adds that it consulted widely before the first consignment arrived.

Organisations approached included the Health and Safety Executive, Kent Police, the environmental officer at Medway Council, Medway Council’s planning department, Kent Fire Brigade, Gillingham Fire Brigade, Medway Harbour Master and South East Coast Ambulance Trust.

It says, with the exception of the local planning authority, they all played a prominent role in recommending safe systems, all of which were fully implemented.

Arcelor Mittal insists that storage of ammonium nitrates, using laid-down procedures in purpose-built stores, presents no danger to the public.

Farm-grade chemicals of this kind however, have been used for bomb-making by dissident groups, including the IRA.

Medway Council has said the responsibility was always on the operator to apply for any consent. It has stopped the company accepting any further shipments of the chemicals.