Pubdate: Thu, 22 Jul 2004
Source: Mission City Record (CN BC)
Copyright: 2004 The Mission City Record
Contact:  http://www.missioncityrecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1305
Author: Jason Roessle
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

A TOXIC CHEMICAL USED TO CREATE CRYSTAL METH ALMOST WOUND UP IN THE 
MUNICIPAL LANDFILL LAST THURSDAY

Hatzic Street Evacuated For One Hour

A highly toxic substance commonly used in the production of crystal 
methamphetamines was found in a garbage truck last Thursday, prompting the 
evacuation of a Hatzic street.

Six pounds of red phosphorous amorphous were discovered by accident when a 
small fire started in the back of the vehicle around 3 p.m. July 15. The 
truck driver put it out with an extinguisher and then noticed a red powder 
coating the back of the truck.

He tried to scratch it off with a rock and stopped when it began smoking.

Mission Fire Rescue was called to the scene and they in turn contacted the 
District of Mission's environmental technician, Mike Hofer.

According to Dennis Clark, the district's director of corporate 
administration, after Hofer spoke with the truck driver, Hazco 
Environmental Services was called. As a precaution, said Clark, all houses 
on Moffat Avenue were evacuated for about an hour. The fire department 
followed the dump truck to the district landfill where the vehicle was 
guided to an undeveloped portion of the site.

"A field chemist determined that the material was red phosphorous 
amorphous," said Clark.

After firefighters soaked down the load - as red phosphorous dust will 
ignite - the truck was emptied onto a mat and all the trash was sorted 
through, bagged and drummed.

The truck had just completed its route and was about to empty its load at 
the landfill, reported Clark, meaning the garbage was collected from only 
four streets: Coleman, Pakenham, Moffat and Vosburgh. This information was 
passed onto the RCMP, but Clark said someone could just as easily have 
driven into the area and dropped it in someone's trash.

As friction can cause the phosphorous to ignite, it is fortunate the trash 
was not emptied into the landfill. If a fire had started, it would have 
gone underground and become virtually impossible to extinguish, said Clark.

Red phosphorus amorphous is used as a chemical reactant to help create 
crystal methamphetamine, said RCMP Sgt. Jerry Prevett.

Once it is used, it becomes a waste product. This material is less 
difficult to obtain in Canada, compared to the United States where the Drug 
Enforcement Agency requires sellers to see a purchaser's end-use permit.

Some of the smaller drug labs will gather thousands of packs of matches and 
obtain the red phosphorous from the matchbook strikeplates. This is not 
done too often due to the intense labour required, said Prevett.

RCMP are continuing to investigate. 
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager