AUTHORITIES INTENSIFYING EFFORTS TO THWART THEFT OF ANHYDROUS AMMONIA

Topeka - Thieves are roaming the state in search of "white buffaloes" -
tanks filled with anhydrous ammonia, which can be used to produce a quick
batch of methamphetamines.

Meth labs on the rise

In Kansas, the manufacture of methamphetamines is increasing. Last year,
law enforcement agencies busted 846 so-called meth labs, up from 711 in 2000.

Anhydrous ammonia is a volatile and hazardous chemical that can damage the
environment and cause severe health problems, even death. When released in
the atmosphere, it expands into a toxic gas.

"A lot of folks who are stealing anhydrous ammonia don't respect it," said
Scott Teeselink, a former KBI senior special agent who is now a crime
prevention specialist with the Kansas Farm Bureau.

"The thieves don't need that much, and they often leave the valve open,
which causes a monetary loss as well as producing a dangerous situation,"
Teeselink said.

No statistics are kept on the theft of anhydrous ammonia from tanks, but
anecdotal evidence of the problem is mounting in Kansas and all across the
farming Midwest. Incidents of reported spills resulting from anhydrous
ammonia thefts in Kansas grew from four to 10 between 2000 and 2001,
according to state records.

In the Legislature, several bills are being considered related to the theft
of anhydrous ammonia.

One bill that has passed the Senate would protect owners of anhydrous
ammonia from lawsuits by unlawful tamperers who are injured during their crime.

But the Kansas Trial Lawyers Assn. says the proposal goes too far, making
it next to impossible for innocent third parties injured by a spill from
holding an owner accountable if the owner's negligence contributed to the
injury.

The association said that Kansas needs to adopt national standards to deter
theft by making the tanks more secure with fencing and extra lighting.

Agriculture groups are opposed to increased regulations, saying that
farmers are having a hard time enough as it is without additional rules.
Teeselink said he spends a lot of his time educating farmers about the
problem and how they can be more careful with their tanks.

New locks may help

Meanwhile, agribusinesses, such as Farmland Industries Inc., one of the
leading fertilizer makers in the country, are continuing research and
development to try and make the tanks more difficult to drain.

Michael Steinle of Lawrence, environmental manager for distribution systems
at Farmland Industries, has developed a new locking device that could keep
the thieves away.

"After I responded to a couple of ammonia releases in the Kansas City area
that were due to attempted thefts, I saw this as being a fairly major
problem," Steinle said.

Essentially, the device is a box that fits over the tank's valves. It is
attached in a special way so that it cannot be pried off. It is locked and
opened by a key.

"Nothing is foolproof. This is not cutting-torch proof, but it will slow
them down enough, or maybe just make them decide to move on, kind of like
the Club for cars," he said.

The problem is that the device costs $89.

"The farm economy is problematic right now. If you have 3,000 nurse tanks
in a co-op, that's quite a bit of cash outflow. Without the farm economy
turning around a little bit, it's going to be a tough sell," he said.