TAB FOR METH LAB CLEANUP FALLS ON STATE

The cleanup of methamphetamine labs got more expensive Tuesday for
Oklahomans.

Because money from a federal program has dried up, the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration on Tuesday stopped paying for cleanup of
labs it is not involved in investigating, said Kym Koch of the
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

The bureau is required by state law to coordinate cleanup,
transportation and disposal of chemicals from Oklahoma meth lab sites.

For the last three years the state has relied on drug agency money and
money from a federal Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS,
program to help with cleanup.

In a one-year period ending Oct. 31, the state spent about $110,000 on
lab cleanups. During that same period, the DEA kicked in $930,000,
with about equal amounts coming from its own budget and from the U.S.
Justice Department's policing services program.

About $10 million a year has been doled out from the policing services
program for the last three years for meth lab cleanup nationwide.
Oklahoma is tied for second with Arizona in the number of meth labs
found last year, according to drug administration statistics.

In the last 12 months, the bureau has processed 824 meth labs, as
compared to 720 last year, Koch said.

"What this means is that if a local sheriff calls us today, we'll
process the scene and do the analysis, but we don't have money for the
cleanup," Koch said.

"But since we're mandated, we'll have to look at cutting other
programs in our budget to the tune of a half-million dollars."

Bureau officials are meeting today with leaders in the state House and
Senate to discuss a supplemental appropriation. The agency has about
two weeks worth of meth lab funds and is asking for $500,000 to
process an anticipated 276 meth labs before the fiscal year ends June
30.

The bureau also is asking Oklahoma congressmen to sign a letter
requesting Attorney General Janet Reno add $5 million to the drug
administration budget this year and specifically direct $500,000 to
Oklahoma for meth lab cleanup.

"This isn't just a plea for money; we budget conservatively," Koch
said. "We consider this a crisis."