Pubdate: Sat, 04 Aug 2001
Source: The Southeast Missourian (MO)
Copyright: 2001, Southeast Missourian
Contact: http://www.semissourian.com/opinion/speakout/submit/
Website: http://www.semissourian.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1322
Author: Sam Blackwell
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

POLICY ON CLEANING UP METH LABS TO BE REVISED

A new Justice Department policy that threatens to hurt the funding of 
local drug task forces will be revised, according to statements from 
the offices of both U.S. senators from Missouri.

A spokesman for U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo., said a 
meeting between Justice Department officials and Missouri law 
enforcement representatives will be held next week to work out the 
details of the revision. A statement from U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan, D- 
Mo., said she sought the change along with Bond.

State law enforcement agencies have attacked the new policy, which 
would require them to pay a licensed contractor to clean up meth labs 
instead of letting the Department of Natural Resources do the job. 
The cost of the private contractor is $4,000 compared to $68 per 
cleanup for the DNR, according to Sgt. Kevin Glaser, coordinator of 
the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force.

Local drug task forces that refuse to comply would sacrifice their 
share of nearly $8.7 million in federal grant funding that goes to 
the state to fight drugs.

Glaser wrote Bond a letter laying out the issues. He says most of the 
meth labs busted in Southeast Missouri are small compared to those in 
California.

"It's a matter of them not knowing the problem we're faced with," 
Glaser said. "If we encounter 55-gallon drums we're going to have to 
call in a licensed contractor. But a quart of ether and a half gallon 
of drain cleaner, we can deal with that effectively."

Capt. James Keithley of the Missouri Highway Patrol was in 
Washington, D.C., this week talking with Justice Department officials 
about the special conditions Missouri drug enforcement officers face 
in dealing with meth labs.

Ernie Blazar, Bond's spokesman, didn't know whether next week's 
meeting will be held in Missouri or in Washington, D.C. "Part of the 
process that is going to be used is to find out how we best revise 
this rule to insure that the sheriffs and members of the drug task 
force are not using money on something that is not needed," he said.

The meth problem is not going to go away, Glaser says. "It boils down 
to how you are going to address the situation of cleaning them up. 
Missouri has a very effective, safe way of doing it."
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MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe