From: Subject: Methamphetamine by-products a danger to the community Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2004 16:19:33 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_000B_01C44D74.621588A0"; type="text/html" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1409 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_000B_01C44D74.621588A0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2003news/2003-069.html Methamphetamine by-products a danger to the = community

3D"small  Washington State Department = of=20 Ecology : Ecology=20 News

Department of Ecology News Release - April 23, 2003

03-069

Methamphetamine by-products a danger to the community

OLYMPIA - With the help of the state Department of Ecology, = Vancouver's city=20 operations center is doing its best to protect employees from the = dangers of=20 methamphetamine waste products found on the street.

Tim Buck, supervisor of Vancouver's street-maintenance crew, said he = is=20 concerned for his employees.

"We may not know where to look for a meth lab, but we want to know = what it=20 might look like if we stumble across one during our work day," Buck = said. "The=20 more we know, the safer our crews can be."

Curt Piesch and Jon Kuykundall of Department of Ecology's = spill-response team=20 arrived at Vancouver's maintenance shop recently to demonstrate what a = meth lab=20 looks like and what waste products could be found at a typical dump = site.

"Ecology's willingness to educate our crew adds another measure of = safety to=20 our job performance. In a short time, we gain a lot of knowledge and = avoid some=20 pretty serious health risks for our employees and the community," said = Buck.

Other local agencies, such as Clark and Wahkiakum counties, also have = received training from Ecology. As a result of their training, employees = from=20 those jurisdictions have notified Ecology of drug-lab dump sites several = times=20 in the past year.

Empty containers of Red Devil Lye, Heet gas-line antifreeze and water = remover, and glass mason jars are just a few of the by-products of meth=20 production. Among the more dangerous materials are tanks containing = anhydrous=20 ammonia, which is highly toxic if breathed, touched or swallowed.

Used hypodermic needles can be another red flag that a meth lab is = nearby.=20 Most cooks are also users and are not particularly concerned about = putting the=20 protective caps back on their needles.

Empty garbage bags on the side of the road could be filled with toxic = meth=20 waste. There and elsewhere, a strong ammonia odor might indicate there's = a meth=20 lab present.

Citizens who find or suspect a meth lab should contact their local = police or=20 State Patrol.

For more information or group training, contact Department of Ecology = at=20 360-407-6959 or 360-407-6370.

# # #

Media Contact: Mary-Ellen Voss, Department of Ecology, Public=20 Information Officer, 360-407-7211, pager 360-956-8296

For photos of the training, contact Mary-Ellen Voss by phone, = 360-407-7211,=20 or e-mail, mevo461@ecy.wa.gov. =

 

------=_NextPart_000_000B_01C44D74.621588A0 Content-Type: image/gif Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Location: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/images/ecylogo26x17.gif R0lGODlhGgARALP/ADOYmIGQj/9mMz+9q1XFtdSgiWb/AH/Tx5bcz4bq2aH/cJj//9P/vN/9+gAz M////yH/C0FET0JFOklSMS4wAt7tACH5BAEAAA8ALAAAAAAaABEAAASW8MnZ2rL46oynrNYijktC koj3gKeICALSHmCzhm0BHy1SXbWWqFAwnXyNhEKpXCyfiShz6UwcVgyGQpvNbrWKr9dANtwq3i06 zB6XzQ/te06vf+p4/EeR75MJHw0ABIQHhoSIAIOKi4ofCIyKBwSMlJGXAIGGB5iXAwCfkSornZgH Aaenow0BpQAFFaOrrKgNBQEgshIRADs= ------=_NextPart_000_000B_01C44D74.621588A0 Content-Type: text/css; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/css/ecology4.css BODY { FONT-SIZE: 13px; MARGIN: 10px 20px 0px; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: = Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff } P { FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif } TH { FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif } TD { FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif } LI { FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif } DT { FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif } DD { FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 4px; FONT-FAMILY: = Verdana,Arial,sans-serif } H1 { FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet,Verdana,sans-serif } H2 { FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet,Verdana,sans-serif } H3 { FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet,Verdana,sans-serif } H4 { FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet,Verdana,sans-serif } H5 { FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet,Verdana,sans-serif } H6 { FONT-FAMILY: Trebuchet,Verdana,sans-serif } H2 { COLOR: #336699 } H3 { COLOR: #336699 } H4 { COLOR: #336699 } H1 { FONT-SIZE: 135% } H2 { FONT-SIZE: 115% } H3 { FONT-SIZE: 105% } H4 { FONT-SIZE: 100% } H5 { FONT-SIZE: 100% } H6 { FONT-SIZE: 100% } OPTION { FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial,sans-serif } A:link { BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; COLOR: #336699 } A:active { BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; COLOR: #ff0033 } A:visited { BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; COLOR: #336699 } A:hover { BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; COLOR: #ff0033 } P.nav4 { FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: #000066; FONT-FAMILY: = Verdana,Arial,sans-serif } H1.continued { FONT-SIZE: 115%; COLOR: #003366 } ------=_NextPart_000_000B_01C44D74.621588A0--