Pubdate: Thu, 17 Mar 2005
Source: Intelligencer, The (WV)
Copyright: 2005 The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register
Contact: http://www.theintelligencer.net/news/feedback.asp
Website: http://www.theintelligencer.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1633
Author: Justin D. Anderson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

AGENT DETAILS SPECIFICS OF METH LABS

GLEN DALE - The issue of clandestine methamphetamine labs has not yet been 
something Northern Panhandle residents have regularly had at their 
doorsteps, but with one man indicted in Marshall County for allegedly 
operating one and a growing problem in points south, like the Parkersburg 
area, the Ohio and Marshall counties solid waste authorities sponsored an 
educational program on meth labs Wednesday night at John Marshall High 
School, Glen Dale. The program, conducted by Parkersburg Violent Crime and 
Narcotics Task Force Agent Douglas Sturm, was mainly for the purpose of 
teaching first responders what to look for when they enter a residence that 
may contain a meth lab. Patrol officers were also targeted, and taught some 
of the signs that will help them "put two and two together" in order to 
make arrests during traffic stops.

Sturm's most basic advice to these professionals was to be more aware of 
their surroundings and the situation at hand.

"The likelihood of a patrol officer coming into contact with a meth lab is 
increasing dramatically," Sturm said.

Marshall County resident James David Galloway, of RD 3, was indicted by the 
March term of the grand jury for allegedly operating a clandestine lab 
sometime around March 4, 2004. Marshall County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Kevin 
Cecil, who was formerly an agent with the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, said 
Galloway's arrest was the first time anyone has been charged with the 
felony offense in the county. However, last year alone, Cecil said the task 
force raided five meth labs from Hancock to Wetzel county.

Sturm said that the meth lab culture is protean and "there are no experts" 
in methamphetamine production. A meth lab is so compact and comprised of 
common items - a turkey baster and coffee carafe, for instance - they are a 
"very easy thing to miss."

"There's nothing high-tech about this stuff," Sturm said.

A 1999 kidnapping investigation at Wood County in which Sturm took part 
uncovered the "biggest meth lab east of the Mississippi," he said. Sturm 
said the operator of the lab came east from California, where he was 
reportedly a member of the Hell's Angels.

"If you've got one lab, you've got 30," Sturm warned police officers in 
attendance.

One of the real dangers of methamphetamine production, Sturm said, is the 
basic ignorance of those who make it. Individuals with little to no 
chemistry training are mixing volatile chemicals, like farm-grade iodine, 
red phosphorus - which could turn into highly flammable and caustic white 
phosphorus during a chemical reaction gone wrong - ether and lighter fluid, 
sometimes with bad results.

"The average IQ (of meth cooks) is about two," Sturm said. "If we're lucky."

As well, phosphine gas and hydrogen chloride gas production often occur 
during the cook. To explain the potency of one of the gases, Sturm said 
Saddam Hussein used phosphine gas, which is odorless and colorless, to kill 
thousands of Kurds.

The precursor to making meth is pseudoephedrine, Sturm said. This substance 
is easily bought at any retailer selling cough medicines. Sturm commented 
that Wal-Mart is the nation's leading seller of pseudoephedrine.

The process to "cook" methamphetamine appeared to be a simple one. Sturm 
explained the process step-by-step. Another problem of meth labs is that 
once the cooking is done, the lab is little more than a hazardous waste 
site, Sturm said. The average cost to clean up a lab is over $20,000, Sturm 
said. The federal government requires anyone entering a lab for clean up or 
investigation be certified. Federal Superfund money is granted to agencies 
for the clean up, Sturm said. However, the scene must not be disturbed by 
unqualified personnel; otherwise, that particular agency gets stuck with 
the bill.

"Meth is going to take over this state ... without a doubt," Sturm said.

According to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration statistics, in 2004, 145 
clandestine labs were seized in West Virginia. Seventy-five were seized in 
2003. Three were seized in 2000. These numbers are relatively small 
compared to other states, like Missouri, where 2,707 clandestine labs were 
seized in 2004 alone. A total of .01 kilograms of methamphetamine was 
seized in West Virginia during 2004, according to the DEA.

According to the Associated Press, the West Virginia Legislature has been 
taking steps to make pseudoephedrine less accessible to customers. Senate 
Bill 147 seeks to have such drugs available only by asking a pharmacist. 
Other household chemicals used in the production are also being targeted by 
that bill. Another bill, HB 3047, seeks to increase the penalties for 
possessing items known to be used in the manufacture of the drug.

Recently, a Charleston sanitation worker was injured after being splashed 
with suspected methampetamine ingredients that caught fire, the Associated 
Press reported. The ingredients were concealed in a regular garbage bag, 
the report stated.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom