Pubdate: Thu, 04 Jan 2007
Source: Pacific Daily News (US GU)
Copyright: 2007 Pacific Daily News
Contact: http://www.guampdn.com/customerservice/contactus.html
Website: http://www.guampdn.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1122
Author: Eric Palacios

WAS YOUR NEW HOME ONCE A DRUG LAB?

Thinking about renting your first apartment, or moving  into a different one?

Or, maybe you're tempted to buy an existing house at a  great price?

You might want to consider visiting the U.S. Drug  Enforcement 
Administration's Web site before you do  either.

The U.S. DEA has, on its Web site, what could  be the equivalent of 
the National Sex Offender  Registry.

The National Clandestine Laboratory Register aims to  inform the 
general public about places where drug labs  once existed and were 
raided by law enforcement  authorities, and that there still may be 
toxic  chemicals present.

This is a great tool for aspiring homeowners and  present and 
eventual renters, officials said.

'It Could Be Anywhere'

Started in 2004, the registry  has listings for all 50 states and 
individual counties,  and Guam. The U.S. Department of Justice 
provides the  Web site as a public service.

"What this points out to the people is that it could be  anywhere; it 
could be in your neighborhood," Rapadas  said about the registry.

"We really want to stress that it could be in your back  yard even, 
and for people to be more aware of their  surroundings," he said. "We 
want our island to be safe  and we would like residents to help make 
the island  safe."

Making one pound of the drug ice, Rapadas noted,  produces five 
pounds of toxic waste.

"This is the same thing as the Ordot dump, but it's in  your 
neighborhood," Rapadas said of places previously  used as drug labs. 
"People have to realize that this is  a problem."

Falling Numbers

The number of Small Toxic Labs is  diminishing in the United States, 
according to Rapadas.  On Guam, recent discoveries of such labs are 
not so  surprising he added, given the aggressive interdiction  and 
interception efforts of local and federal  enforcement agencies.

"Some people have decided that they want to start  producing ice on 
Guam because they can't get as much as  they used to," Rapadas said. 
"Historically we've had a  problem with imports, but there is less of 
that now.  The U.S. DEA, local police task force, agents from 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and even the  postal 
service, are doing a good job of finding and  stopping these imports."

But there are two other factors to which Rapadas  attributed the 
nationwide decrease of clandestine labs:  State leaders have begun 
enacting laws that keep some  of the "precursors" such as certain 
ingredients and  "hardware" out of the hands of regular people; and 
the  recent increase of "super labs" in Mexico are filling  the void.

Island officials recognize the growing threat of  manufacturing ice 
locally, and have enacted laws that  mirror those of the states.

Businesses that market commodities used in making the  drug are 
required to keep thorough records that include  the date of purchase, 
quantity purchased and  information on the purchaser.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman