NORTH IOWA ANHYDROUS THEFTS POINT TO CONTINUED METH USE

MASON CITY -- Anhydrous ammonia, an ag chemical abundantly available in
North Iowa, is a key ingredient in manufacturing methamphetamine.

This fertilizer is used to jolt or "cook" meth, so thieves steal from
mobile storage tanks parked at elevators or in fields, Cerro Gordo County
Sheriff Kevin Pals said.

"We have tried some creative things to stop the thefts -- undercover
surveillance, putting strip ties on the locks so we can tell if someone has
tampered with the tank," Pals said. "But it is tough. These guys are really
determined to get the stuff."

And too many are getting away with it, he said.

The thefts, most often, are small amounts so it's difficult to calculate
just how much anhydrous is being siphoned off by drug traffickers,
according to Cerro Gordo Chief Deputy Dave Hepperly.

"We have had people steal a whole tank," he said. "But usually these guys
go out with a jug and steal small amounts, whatever they need for one or
two batches."

In many instances, some type of hose or attachment is left on the anhydrous
tank and often the valve isn't closed tightly, creating another potential
hazard.

And the "meth cooks," Hepperly said, often send someone lower on the food
chain, such as an addict, out to steal the anhydrous.

"For the big dealers, money is tremendous," Pals said. "A meth dealer
selling large quantities can make $7,000 or $8,000 a week."

Anhydrous thefts spiked in the mid-1990s with the increased use of
methamphetamine. The number of thefts reported has remained steady across
North Iowa since, according to authorities.

"The thieves are getting smarter, more bold. They don't just go out at
night anymore. They are stealing during the day, which makes it a lot more
difficult for us to sneak up on them," Pals said. "Some are even wearing
night goggles, watching for us."

So science has come into play in combating the problem.

Available and in use at elevators is an additive -- "GloTell" -- which
leaves fluorescent pink stains on "most anything it comes into contact
with," including methamphetamine, said Tim Rogers, North Iowa Cooperative
Elevator agronomist.

Research also continues at Iowa State University on another new additive.

Initial testing confirms that when mixed with this additive -- essentially
another type of fertilizer -- anhydrous ammonia is virtually useless in
methamphetamine manufacturing.

It is also affordable. Estimated product costs are $9 per ton of treated
anhydrous ammonia "which equates to between 80 cents and a $1 per acre,"
Rogers said.

Before the product can be marketed, the Iowa Department of Transportation
tests it to determine how the substance affects storage tanks and release
valves.

Since clandestine labs are a "significant part of the drug problem in North
Iowa," the additive will be a big help, Hepperly said.

"But now we are seeing drug dealers making their own anhydrous,
circumventing our efforts."

So the challenge continues.