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Department of Ecology News Release - April 23, 2003
03-069
OLYMPIA - With the help of the state Department of Ecology, Vancouver's city operations center is doing its best to protect employees from the dangers of methamphetamine waste products found on the street.
Tim Buck, supervisor of Vancouver's street-maintenance crew, said he is concerned for his employees.
"We may not know where to look for a meth lab, but we want to know what it might look like if we stumble across one during our work day," Buck said. "The more we know, the safer our crews can be."
Curt Piesch and Jon Kuykundall of Department of Ecology's spill-response team arrived at Vancouver's maintenance shop recently to demonstrate what a meth lab 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 our job performance. In a short time, we gain a lot of knowledge and avoid some 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 those jurisdictions have notified Ecology of drug-lab dump sites several times 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 production. Among the more dangerous materials are tanks containing anhydrous ammonia, which is highly toxic if breathed, touched or swallowed.
Used hypodermic needles can be another red flag that a meth lab is nearby. Most cooks are also users and are not particularly concerned about putting the protective caps back on their needles.
Empty garbage bags on the side of the road could be filled with toxic meth waste. There and elsewhere, a strong ammonia odor might indicate there's a meth lab present.
Citizens who find or suspect a meth lab should contact their local police or State Patrol.
For more information or group training, contact Department of Ecology at 360-407-6959 or 360-407-6370.
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Media Contact: Mary-Ellen Voss, Department of Ecology, Public Information Officer, 360-407-7211, pager 360-956-8296
For photos of the training, contact Mary-Ellen Voss by phone, 360-407-7211, or e-mail, mevo461@ecy.wa.gov.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
