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| 3 July 2001 What's Cookin' in the Woods? What You Should Know About Meth Labs Before You Hit the Trail ALPINE, CA – One of the best reasons to live in San Diego County is the wide variety of outdoor recreation that’s available. And summertime is when more people go camping, hiking, mountain-biking, backpacking, rock-climbing, fishing, and bird-watching in the local mountains. Here’s something to consider, as you prepare for your vacation or family camping trip. “Pressure from law enforcement agencies is pushing some meth cookers out of town,” according to San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob. “They’re moving farther away from populated areas, and dumping their leftover trash and chemicals in remote areas. Those chemicals can cause serious health and safety problems. And whether you’re going for a day-hike in our local mountains, or camping for a week in another part of the country, there’s a chance of encountering a meth lab or dump site.” Seizures of meth labs and dump sites on national forest land increased by 356 percent last year, compared to 1999. “In a national forest, the odds of coming across a meth lab are very low, but they’re increasing,” said Chuck Shamblin, Law Enforcement Coordinator for the Cleveland National Forest. “If you see something that looks like a meth lab or dump site, give it a wide berth, and notify a park ranger or law enforcement officer. Meth labs and dump sites have hazardous materials, and you don’t want to confront a meth cooker.” Last year, authorities seized a drug lab in Ramona, and found that the meth cookers had dumped their leftovers in more than 30 locations along Black Canyon Road, which leads into the Cleveland National Forest. Cleanup experts from the DEA found solvents, hydriotic acid, red phosphorus, and other dangerous chemicals in those dump sites. “That situation near Ramona is consistent with what’s going on in the other national forests in Southern California,” said Rita Plair-Wears, Southern California Patrol Commander for the U.S. Forest Service. “Fifteen years ago, we were finding some meth labs. But now, more meth cookers seem to be using the national forests for dump sites, after setting up their labs somewhere else.” State parks in the San Diego region have not had a large number of meth labs or dump sites in recent years, but rangers have been advised of the hazards. “Meth labs are out there,” said Curtis Itogawa, Superintendent of the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area. “A few years ago, a motor home caught fire, and burned to the ground. After the fire was out, firefighters found meth-making equipment inside.” Firefighters who work in the back country have been trained to recognize the signs of a meth lab or dumpsite. “Meth makers dump chemicals that are extremely flammable,” said Kelly Zombro, Battalion Chief with the California Department of Forestry. “Those chemicals can ignite by themselves, or turn a small brushfire into a large one. And when a lab or dump site burns, there’s a secondary hazard. The firefighters are exposed to the chemicals and fumes as they walk through the area, putting out the flames.” For every pound of meth produced in an illegal lab, there’s about six pounds of waste product left over. When they’re dumped in the back country, those chemicals kill plants and animals. “Chemicals like iodine, freon, and acetone can seep into the soil, polluting the groundwater,” said Mike Handman, of the San Diego County Hazardous Incident Response Team. “I’ve condemned two wells because they were polluted with freon, which was dumped by meth cookers. Right now, the state’s trying to come up with standards for the clean-up of the chemicals at meth dumpsites and labs.” What do you do if you’re out hiking, and come across what might be a meth lab or a dump site? Avoid the area, and call San Diego County’s Methamphetamine Hotline, at 1-877-NO 2 METH. If you’re in a state or national park or forest, notify the nearest ranger station. For more information, contact:
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