Part 2 Of 2: Elusive Problem

METH LAB BUSTS INVOLVE HANDLING TOXIC MATERIALS

CHIPPEWA FALLS - Tim Schultz takes no chances when he is sent to clean up a
meth lab.

Two pairs of gloves stretch tightly over his fingers. A heavy mask covers
his face, making it difficult to see and breathe. A plastic suit covers the
rest of his body, head to toe, to make sure no dangerous chemicals touch
his skin.

Schultz said the measures are needed, and he wouldn't enter a meth lab
without the gear. He keeps a spare cleanup suit in his car, so he is ready
at all times.

Schultz, an agent in the state Division of Narcotics Enforcement, knows the
dangers of the drug. He has been involved in drug enforcement for 25 years
and was certified as a lab agent in 1991.

"I've been to maybe 80 percent of the labs in the state, because most have
been up here," Schultz said.

Meth production causes a harmful byproduct. The fumes are toxic; the sludge
is lethal.

"Everything is either flammable or corrosive," said Jeff Wilson of the West
Central Drug Task Force. "The vapors are toxic. The best thing we can do is
open doors and windows and ventilate the area."

Because of the smell, meth labs are not usually found in the middle of a
city. Instead, wide open spaces of land are ideal locations to make meth,
Wilson said.

"People are going to conceal illegal activity anywhere they can," Wilson said.

So, cooks are finding new locations for labs. In August, a meth lab turned
up in a van in Chippewa County. Other cooks set up shop in hotel rooms,
leaving the hazardous fumes behind.

"This stuff stinks," Schultz said. "It does damage as you smell it. It's
considered a toxic site by OSHA."

While Schultz never enters a meth lab without the head-to-toe cleanup gear,
he sees meth cooks wearing normal clothes, inhaling the toxic byproducts.
Many cooks, when arrested, are thin, pale and malnourished, he said.

Two Types Of Meth

For an investment of about $200 in materials, a meth cook can produce about
$2,800 in finished product, officials say.

There are two main types of methamphetamine, and both are equally common in
the Chippewa Valley, Schultz said.

One type of meth involves reducing, or removing, ephedrine - commonly found
in pills like Sudafed - with red phosphorous and iodine. The product is
cooked in a flask, giving off the strong aroma. A batch of this type of
meth generally takes 12 or more hours to produce.

The second type, commonly called "Nazi Meth," mixes ephedrine, lithium and
anhydrous ammonia. Nazi Meth, while not generating the same powerful high
as the red phosphorous type, is quite popular because it can be made in
less than a half hour.

Lithium is commonly found in camera batteries. Schultz said meth makers cut
open the batteries to drain the acidic fluid. One danger however - lithium
reacts violently with water producing hydrogen gas, which can lead to an
explosion.

Other common meth ingredients include drain cleaner, lantern fuel and
antifreeze.

Fertilizer used in meth

Anhydrous ammonia, a common nitrogen fertilizer, has become a frequently
stolen material from farms. Stealing the fertilizer also can be quite
deadly, Schultz said.

"Anhydrous ammonia is a liquid at 75 degrees below zero, and it boils at 28
degrees below zero," Schultz said.

Thieves often try to move anhydrous ammonia in propane tanks, which are not
designed for the chemical. The chemical immediately starts corroding the tank.

"We've seen these blow up," Schultz said.

The Wisconsin attorney general's office suggests that farmers should
monitor inventory levels of anhydrous ammonia at all times. The tanks
should be positioned in an open lit area, easily seen by passing motorists
and law enforcement officers.

If an anhydrous ammonia tank is stolen, the owner should not disturb the
crime scene. The owner should call the Wisconsin Department of Justice's
Division of Narcotics Enforcement office immediately.

Cleanup

After removing all the toxic elements from a meth lab, Schultz showers -
still wearing the body suit - to get as much of the chemical off as
possible. A partner then helps remove the suit, making sure hands never
contact the outside layer.

The suits, at a cost of $40 each, are never reused.

All dangerous chemicals are gathered and usually are shipped to Texas,
where they are incinerated, Schultz said.

According to Lifeormeth.org, the average cost to clean up a meth lab is
$5,000, but some cost as much as $150,000. Higher costs are common if the
sludge has entered the ground, because that dirt must be removed and
incinerated.

Every pound of meth produced leaves behind five to six pounds of toxic
waste, the Web site states.