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Department of Ecology News Release - March 12, 2003
03-040
Lieutenant Brad Watkins of the Thurston County Sheriff's Department can't say enough great things about the meth lab trailer that Department of Ecology (Ecology) helped purchase.
The trailer was purchased last year and has been custom fitted to conveniently store all the supplies that are needed to respond to a clandestine drug-lab bust. It also has room for confiscated materials from small lab sites.
"Fingerprint test kits, protective equipment, packing supplies for chemicals - everything we need in one place," said Watkins. "It's a great tool for us and it has improved our efficiency tremendously."
Several vehicles are equipped to tow the trailer so when a drug lab is reported, deputies can respond usually within an hour said Watkins.
While the Ecology Department cleans up most meth labs in Washington, some smaller labs can easily be handled by trained law-enforcement officers without waiting for state spill responders to arrive. This allows Ecology to make a single trip to pick up materials confiscated from multiple lab sites.
Watkins said it saves tax money by minimizing the overtime for both agencies.
"We would have been hard pressed to come up with the money to buy this trailer without Ecology's funding support," said Watkins. "Times are tough and money for new equipment - even to help you do your job better - is hard to come by."
Last year, the 24-hour Ecology response team cleaned up more than 2,300 oil spills, releases of hazardous materials and drug labs across Washington.
"Our haz-mat team is incredibly busy all across the state," said David Byers, who manages Ecology's spill responders. "Without this program and the cooperation of law enforcement teams, there is no way we could keep up with the workload."
Ecology has purchased 17 storage lockers and trailers for law-enforcement departments across the state and provided their officers with a higher level of training to pack and transport meth-lab materials.
Some funding is still available to help purchase additional trailers for other departments. They should contact Ecology at 360-407-6959 or 360-407-6370, if interested.
Citizens who find or suspect a meth lab should contact their local police or State Patrol.
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Media Contact: Mary-Ellen Voss, Department of Ecology, Public Information Officer, phone 360-407-7211, pager 360-956-8296
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
