AREA GETS FIRST OF 25 METH CLEANUP TRAILERS

Gov. Mel Carnahan and top officials of the Department of Public Safety and Department of Natural Resources handed over three methamphetamine cleanup trailers to members of three Southeast and south central Missouri drug task forces Thursday.

The trailers, designed to transport hazardous waste found at clandestine meth labs, were unveiled during a press conference in a private hangar at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

They will be used by the Mineral Area, Bootheel and South Central drug task forces. Communities served by those task forces include Caruthersville, Kennett, West Plains, Willow Springs, Cabool, Washington, Union and Farmington.

The three trailers are the first of 25 such units that will be distributed by the Department of Public Safety to many of the state's two dozen drug task forces.

The trailers cost $15,000 each, state officials said.

Carnahan said the drug task forces in the region were singled out for the first shipment of trailers because their areas have the most meth labs in the state.

"Many people still wrongly believe that meth is a `big city' problem, something you find in St. Louis, Kansas City or Springfield. But one meth study reveals that people in rural areas are 104 percent more likely to be involved with meth than people living in large cities," the governor said.

"As we track down and disassemble more and more of these illegal drug labs, great care must be taken to dispose of any waste that poses a problem to the environment and safety of our residents," said Carnahan.

The production of one pound of meth results in five pounds of toxic waste, the governor said.

"These trailers will help law enforcement officers safely clean up the poisonous materials involved in meth production," he said.

Carnahan said the state has spent more than $1 million battling the methamphetamine problem. Some of that money has been used to purchase the trailers, he said.

"We must continue our fight for our communities and our environment,' he said.

Public Safety Director Gary Kempker said the methamphetamine problem has spurred cooperation among law enforcement agencies in the state.

John Young, director of environmental quality for the Department of Natural Resources, said Missouri is ahead of other states in addressing the hazardous waste problem caused by meth labs.

Young said the trailers, which feature their own generators and include lights and breathing apparatus, make it safer for officers handling the toxic chemicals seized from meth labs.

Currently, officers haul toxic waste to DNR collection sites in the back of pickup trucks or in other vehicles.

In this part of the state, there are metal collection stations in Jackson, Kennett, Poplar Bluff and West Plains.

Missouri currently has 12 collection stations, which have processed nearly 18,000 pounds of toxic chemicals from meth labs, Young said. The DNR is looking to add new collection stations around the state.

Highway Patrol officer Aaron Harrison said the new trailers should make for safer handling of meth chemicals confiscated in drug busts.

The extra lighting is a benefit because drug task forces often bust meth labs in the middle of the night in remote locations. With so many meth labs being busted, the trailers will get plenty of use, Harrison said.