[CanYoAssDigIt] More Twisted Justification for the Drug War

If meth were legal, this problem would not exist.

State News Release

*Washington State Department of Ecology <http://www.ecy.wa.gov>*

Date: May 25, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mary-Ellen Voss, Public Information Officer, (360) 407-7211

*The dark side of camping: Meth-lab dumpsites*

*OLYMPIA* -- Somewhere between Spokane and Grays Harbor counties, hidden
under a tarp or strung out across a campsite, are the remains of a
methamphetamine drug lab.

Meth cooks often dump waste at local, state, national parks and
campgrounds because getting rid of meth-lab waste, in most cases,
separates the cooks from criminal evidence that could land them in jail.

"Their attitude is, why dump it at home and possibly get caught with the
waste if you can simply walk away from the mess," said David Byers, who
supervises spill and hazardous-materials response for the Department of
Ecology.

Byers said that unsuspecting families who are trying to get away and
enjoy nature are the ones at risk.

Campers, hikers, picnickers, fishermen and others should be on the
lookout for suspicious products left over from meth labs. These include
propane tanks or other pressurized cylinders, strong ammonia odors,
starter-fluid spray cans, shredded lithium batteries, Red Devil Lye
(drain cleaner), muriatic or hydrochloric acid, empty cold-medicine
packages or containers, plastic tubing, glass jars, funnels, coffee
filters, hypodermic needles and containers of acetone, toluene and
Coleman Fuel.

The used propane tanks are often corroded and have jury-rigged valves
and tubing that can fail, spraying ammonia or hydrogen-chloride gas that
attacks eyes and lungs. Ecology responders have found fire
extinguishers, scuba tanks, soda dispensers and all sizes of pressurized
cylinders used in producing meth.

"Meth cooks are doing whatever it takes to avoid getting caught,
including moving into rural areas where they're not detected as easily,"
said Byers.

More than 400 drug labs and dump sites have been reported already this
year, and the discovery rate tends to increase in the spring and summer
months.

People may inadvertently stumble across active or abandon meth labs
while out enjoying the warmer weather.

Meth waste is toxic to people and the environment, and some meth waste
can be flammable, which could present another problem for parks and
forests if there is another dry summer.

Anyone who comes across an active or deserted meth-lab site should leave
the area immediately and contact the local police or sheriff's
department, said Byers.

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