AGENT DETAILS SPECIFICS OF METH LABS

GLEN DALE - The issue of clandestine methamphetamine labs has not yet been
something Northern Panhandle residents have regularly had at their
doorsteps, but with one man indicted in Marshall County for allegedly
operating one and a growing problem in points south, like the Parkersburg
area, the Ohio and Marshall counties solid waste authorities sponsored an
educational program on meth labs Wednesday night at John Marshall High
School, Glen Dale. The program, conducted by Parkersburg Violent Crime and
Narcotics Task Force Agent Douglas Sturm, was mainly for the purpose of
teaching first responders what to look for when they enter a residence that
may contain a meth lab. Patrol officers were also targeted, and taught some
of the signs that will help them "put two and two together" in order to
make arrests during traffic stops.

Sturm's most basic advice to these professionals was to be more aware of
their surroundings and the situation at hand.

"The likelihood of a patrol officer coming into contact with a meth lab is
increasing dramatically," Sturm said.

Marshall County resident James David Galloway, of RD 3, was indicted by the
March term of the grand jury for allegedly operating a clandestine lab
sometime around March 4, 2004. Marshall County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Kevin
Cecil, who was formerly an agent with the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, said
Galloway's arrest was the first time anyone has been charged with the
felony offense in the county. However, last year alone, Cecil said the task
force raided five meth labs from Hancock to Wetzel county.

Sturm said that the meth lab culture is protean and "there are no experts"
in methamphetamine production. A meth lab is so compact and comprised of
common items - a turkey baster and coffee carafe, for instance - they are a
"very easy thing to miss."

"There's nothing high-tech about this stuff," Sturm said.

A 1999 kidnapping investigation at Wood County in which Sturm took part
uncovered the "biggest meth lab east of the Mississippi," he said. Sturm
said the operator of the lab came east from California, where he was
reportedly a member of the Hell's Angels.

"If you've got one lab, you've got 30," Sturm warned police officers in
attendance.

One of the real dangers of methamphetamine production, Sturm said, is the
basic ignorance of those who make it. Individuals with little to no
chemistry training are mixing volatile chemicals, like farm-grade iodine,
red phosphorus - which could turn into highly flammable and caustic white
phosphorus during a chemical reaction gone wrong - ether and lighter fluid,
sometimes with bad results.

"The average IQ (of meth cooks) is about two," Sturm said. "If we're lucky."

As well, phosphine gas and hydrogen chloride gas production often occur
during the cook. To explain the potency of one of the gases, Sturm said
Saddam Hussein used phosphine gas, which is odorless and colorless, to kill
thousands of Kurds.

The precursor to making meth is pseudoephedrine, Sturm said. This substance
is easily bought at any retailer selling cough medicines. Sturm commented
that Wal-Mart is the nation's leading seller of pseudoephedrine.

The process to "cook" methamphetamine appeared to be a simple one. Sturm
explained the process step-by-step. Another problem of meth labs is that
once the cooking is done, the lab is little more than a hazardous waste
site, Sturm said. The average cost to clean up a lab is over $20,000, Sturm
said. The federal government requires anyone entering a lab for clean up or
investigation be certified. Federal Superfund money is granted to agencies
for the clean up, Sturm said. However, the scene must not be disturbed by
unqualified personnel; otherwise, that particular agency gets stuck with
the bill.

"Meth is going to take over this state ... without a doubt," Sturm said.

According to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration statistics, in 2004, 145
clandestine labs were seized in West Virginia. Seventy-five were seized in
2003. Three were seized in 2000. These numbers are relatively small
compared to other states, like Missouri, where 2,707 clandestine labs were
seized in 2004 alone. A total of .01 kilograms of methamphetamine was
seized in West Virginia during 2004, according to the DEA.

According to the Associated Press, the West Virginia Legislature has been
taking steps to make pseudoephedrine less accessible to customers. Senate
Bill 147 seeks to have such drugs available only by asking a pharmacist.
Other household chemicals used in the production are also being targeted by
that bill. Another bill, HB 3047, seeks to increase the penalties for
possessing items known to be used in the manufacture of the drug.

Recently, a Charleston sanitation worker was injured after being splashed
with suspected methampetamine ingredients that caught fire, the Associated
Press reported. The ingredients were concealed in a regular garbage bag,
the report stated.