Pubdate: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 Source: Log Cabin Democrat (AR) Copyright: The Log Cabin Democrat Contact: http://thecabin.net/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/548 FARM TANKS ARE EASY PICKINGS FOR METH MAKERS TOLEDO, Ohio - A siphoning hose found on the ground next to a tank filled with farm fertilizer was the first clue. Drug thieves had tapped into the tank at a fertilizer plant to steal anhydrous ammonia -- a volatile ingredient that can be used to produce methamphetamine. Fertilizer plants and farms nationwide are increasingly being targeted as popularity and production of meth soars. The trend has been dangerous -- improper handling of the chemicals has caused sickness in some people and forced evacuations of nearby communities. States including Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas have been fighting ammonia thieves since 1998. Now thefts have spread throughout the South and Midwest, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. "How many times we've been hit I don't know," said Greg Lowe, who monitors losses at County Springs Farmers Co-Op in Sandusky County in north-central Ohio. Anhydrous ammonia, which costs about $245 a ton, is close to pure nitrogen and is sprayed on corn fields to increase growth. Drug makers mix it with common chemicals such as starter fluid, paint thinner, batteries and cold medicine to produce methamphetamine. "It's the cheap man's cocaine," said Mark Murtha, an agent for the DEA. According to a DEA survey, the number of people abusing the drug -- also known as speed, ice, crystal or crank -- has tripled over five years to 9.4 million in 1999. Meth labs have been mushrooming. Last year, the state with the highest number of meth lab seizures was California, with 1,232, the DEA said. "I don't think there's a week last year where we didn't find one, get ready to find one or hear about one," said Richard Cerniglia, the DEA agent in charge in Cincinnati. Federal and local agents in Ohio found 114 labs last year, up from 23 the year before. The state has 234 sites registered to store anhydrous ammonia. The Ohio Department of Agriculture inspects them all to make sure the chemicals are stored properly. Many times the thefts go undetected because no more than 10 pounds are taken. "There's not a lot you can do," said Rick Dunbar, who manages the Edon Farmers Co-Op in northwest Ohio's Williams County. "We put chains and padlocks on the tanks and the next time, they just cut the chain. "The thefts of the chemical, which causes a freezing burn and can peel skin or melt the cornea of an eye, have also taken their toll on nearby communities. In April, all 230 residents in Old Monroe, Mo., were forced from their homes when thieves let ammonia leak out of a storage tank. An apparently botched theft at a farm supply store in Utica, Ky., in September forced 50 people from their homes and caused several crashes on a highway when drivers inhaled the fumes. And police officers have been seriously burned while tracking down propane tanks and milk jugs filled with ammonia. John Randall, a sheriff's deputy in Vernon County, Mo., had a cooler full of ammonia thrown at him while chasing a suspect in April. "We were in a dead run and this vapor cloud just came at us," Randall said. "It was hard to breathe. We were both sick and throwing up. "Despite the risks from the chemicals, farmers are having trouble protecting their stashes from determined thieves. One company is working on new locks for the tanks, but some farmers fear stronger locks will just encourage criminals to damage their tanks. Chemists at Iowa State University are trying to find an additive that could be mixed into the ammonia and make it useless for meth addicts. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek