PANEL: NO STEALING FERTILIZER FOR DRUGS

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., An Illinois Senate committee has
approved a bill that would make it a crime to steal anhydrous ammonia
from farms to make illegal drugs.

The bill's sponsor, state Sen. Frank Watson, R-Carlyle, says anhydrous
ammonia is commonly used as a cheap fertilizer on many Illinois farms.

But it's also one of the components used to produce methamphetamines,
commonly called speed. During the past two years, incidents of people
trying to tamper with farm storage units to steal the chemical have
risen.

Watson's proposal would make it a felony punishable by up to three
years in prison to tamper with anhydrous ammonia for this purpose, and
a misdemeanor to tamper with the chemical without the intent to
produce illegal substances.

Improper handling of the chemical can cause severe burns and
blindness, but the measure would not hold the owner of the equipment
liable for any accidents that might occur.

Supporters of the bill cited a recent case in which a man was blinded
while trying to steal anhydrous ammonia by transporting it in an Igloo
cooler.

The measure now goes to the full Illinois Senate for
consideration.

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{UPI:Government-0224.02892} 02/24/99