Yup. If it's really ammonium nitrate, it is anything but "inert." It's a potent oxidizing agent. Ammonium nitrate and fuel oil is what was used to blow up the Federal building in Oklahoma City.
I agree that this was a probe.
13 posted on 06/17/2011 11:36:56 AM PDT by hellbender
We had the same thought. The news reports I heard today were downplaying the ammonium nitrate, and the news reader made it sound so innocuous. I was not reassured.