NEW CLEANUP TRAILERS WILL ASSIST LAW ENFORCEMENT IN DEALING WITH DANGEROUS METH SITUATIONS

Missouri continues to combat the dangers of methamphetamine. The state has the dubious honor of having more meth labs than most other states in the nation.

It's not an honor Missouri is taking lightly. In recent months, additional money has been funneled to law enforcement agencies battling this drug. Gov. Mel Carnahan and top officials of the Department of Public Safety and Department of Natural Resources recently presented three meth cleanup trailers to members of three regional drug task forces.

That's the problem with meth. It's not only a danger to those who use it. It poses terrible hazards for communities both in cleanup and explosive dangers. The production of one pound of meth results in five pounds of toxic wastes.

The cleanup trailers are the first of 25 such units that will be distributed to the state's two dozen drug task forces. These specialized trailers include their own generators, which is important when the labs are discovered in remote rural locations. They also have their own breathing apparatus, which make it easier for officers to handle seized toxic chemicals.

Missouri has 12 collection points for toxic wastes have processed nearly 18,000 pounds of toxic chemical from meth labs. It's a frightening statistic.

These new trailers should certainly make it safer for officers who bust meth labs. It should also aid the communities in quicker cleanup for these toxic chemicals. Missourians should appreciate the state's aggressiveness in trying to mobilize more manpower and equipment in this deadly fight against methamphetamine.