In what can only be categorized as a mistake of monumental proportions, a former Kansas assistant attorney general deleted all the rules and regulations covering explosives permits from the state records.

To remedy this error, The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that State Fire Marshal Doug Jorgensen wants the state to pass Senate Bill 227, which would give him the authority for writing rules and regulations — including provisions for fixing, charging, and collecting license fees and penalties — that could be written after the bill is passed.

Edward Moses, managing director of the Kansas Aggregate Producers Association, notes that a state error doesn’t justify allowing the fire marshal’s office to develop a whole new set of rules and regulations. The existing governance was developed over many years with the involvement of numerous parties.

“We haven’t been on a regulatory holiday for the past three years,” he told the newspaper. “The reality is that we already have a finely tuned system of explosives safety and regulation, which more than adequately promotes the public safety and allows for the safe development of our natural resources.”