Copper rustlers

As if farmers don't have enough problems, those who rely on irrigation systems must now contend with copper thieves. The electric-power watering systems use wiring that can be a quarter-mile long or longer. Every three feet of copper wire weighs about a pound. Local scrap-metal dealers are paying around $2.50 a pound. You do the math. A quarter-mile of copper wire from a farmer's irrigation system will fetch more than a thousand dollars.

Law-enforcement agencies in Southeast Missouri where farmers rely on irrigation are banding together to put a stop to the copper thieves. They are using a law passed in 1971 but seldom enforced that requires scrap-metal dealers to keep details information about every copper wire or cable purchase. Prosecutors will be asked to inform dealers of the law -- and its potential penalties of fines and jail time.

It is hoped that fewer thieves will want to steal copper in an area where scrap dealers are serious about keeping records that could be used by law-enforcement agencies to catch and prosecute them.