METH DUMP SITES A RURAL HAZARD

With more and more illicit crystal methamphetamine manufacturing
taking place in rural Alberta communities, there is a growing need for
heightened awareness of the dangers posed to families and other users
of rural properties, say police.

In order to promote awareness the RCMP, Alberta Agriculture and Food,
and Rural Crime Watch have come together to provide the public with
more information about what to look out for and how to react when
dealing with clandestine labs and their toxic byproducts.

"If you do see some of these things, get away from them," RCMP Cpl.
Rick Goldstein, who heads "K" Division's Chemical Diversion Program,
told the Gazette. "It's a hazard to everyone and everything. This is a
huge environmental concern in the community."

Crystal meth is a highly addictive and powerful artificial stimulant
with many harmful effects, including tremors, mental confusion,
insomnia, chest pains and hypertension, say police.

One of the largest massive meth labs ever uncovered in Alberta was
busted outside Cremona in 2005. Chemicals believed to be used in that
lab were later found dumped along roads in Mountain View County.

More recently police uncovered a suspected meth sludge dumpsite
outside Sundre.

The production of the drug creates a myriad of hazards, including the
presence of organized crime elements and the danger of lab mishaps
leading to fires or explosions.

Another hazard is the dumping of waste products, called sludge,
created in the manufacturing process. Because the sludge waste often
contain traces of the drug, it poses a formidable health risk to
anyone who comes in contact with it, including livestock, wildlife,
pets, and, of course, adults and children.

"There would still be trace amounts of the drug in the sludge, which
of course would be a health hazard, especially if you are getting it
on your boots and tracking it in and you have small kids or toddlers,"
said Goldstein.

It is important to realize, Goldstein added, that for every unit of
the drug made, five to seven units of toxic waste are also produced.

"This byproduct is then dumped into the sewer system in urban areas
and directly on the land in rural settings," he said. "For these,
toxins can leach into the ground and contaminate water supplies."

Other waste byproducts include packaging from the items used in the
manufacturing process. Police have released a list of tell-tale signs
to look for when coming across a suspected byproduct dump site:

- - A large brownish stain (sludge), similar to an oil spill, spread out
over the roadway or ground.

- - Containers and cans of household chemicals and solvents such as
drain openers, paint thinners, gasoline additives, brake cleaners,
camping fuels, rubbing alcohols, and sulfuric acids.

- - Packages of common colds pills.

- - Glassware stained with a yellow, orange or brown residue such as
mason jars, baking dishes, turkey basters, two-litre pop bottles.

- - Scientific glassware such as flasks, beakers, condensing
tubes.

- - Industrial coffee filters or cloth stained red, rubber tubing or
hoses, lithium batteries, propane tanks, coolers, duct tape, rock or
table salts, funnels, aluminum foil, coffee grinders, kitty litter,
and gas jerry cans.

Mountain View County Reeve Al Kemmere, says he welcomes efforts to get
rural people involved in identifying the dump sites.

"I think anytime we have more eyes out there to try and identify these
dump sites, that's important," said Kemmere. "I would also say that
people need to be cautioned on the risk of getting too close. Let's
not play with them or get our hands in it. Caution is the number one
thing. They are scary chemicals."

Reclamation costs associated with sludge dumpsites can run into the
tens of thousands of dollars, requiring extensive excavation and
remediation, said Goldstein.

Alberta Environment has an emergency fund for private landowners to
pay for the cleanup of contaminated sites. The awareness campaign was
launched as a result of last year's Premier's Taskforce on Crystal
Methamphetamine.

"The first thing that came to mind when we took on this responsibility
was to ensure that all first responders to rural sites would know
exactly what it was that they were seeing when they see a dump site,"
said Bernie Yakimyshyn, Farmers Advocate Office, Alberta Agriculture
and Food.

"We've got a lot more people out there who now know what this stuff is
and how it affects them and the kind of dump materials they may be
seeing."

Yakimyshyn said every municipality in Alberta is aware of the
initiative, and workers trained under the program have already been
making reports to police about dumpsites they have uncovered. Cpl.
Goldstein warns anyone who may come across a meth lab to first and
foremost "get away" and then call police.

"Don't be rummaging through because there are lot of nasties that are
involved that will pose serious health risks, if not be fatal," he
said. "We do see booby traps designed to keep people out."

Goldstein said even if it is just a suspicious circumstance, police
would rather people report it than investigate further on their own.

"It's not a waste of our time," he said. "We'll go out and we will
check it out."

Anyone finding a meth lab or a dump site is urged to call their local
RCMP detachment or Crime Stoppers.