Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Another very real danger resulting from the methamphetamine manufacturing process is disposing of the toxic chemicals used to make meth.
"We get calls weekly on trash along the side of the road, it smells terrible - it's the hazardous waste (meth cooks) have just thrown out along the side of the road," said Lt. Joe Mooney of the Kosciusko County Drug Task Force.
"Once you've used them, you can't re-use your chemicals. ... These guys are dumping it down sewer systems, they're dumping it in rivers, they're dumping the trash along the road every day."
Mooney also said that when hazardous waste trash is found, local authorities must call the Indiana State Police, who in turn rely on a hazardous waste operator to handle and dispose of the chemicals properly.
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, one pound of methamphetamine creates five or six pounds of toxic waste, and the average cost to clean up after just one meth lab is $5,000, but can cost more than $100,000. So far this year the Drug Task Force has shut down 19 labs in Kosciusko County.
Mooney had this advice for anyone finding trash bags that look suspicious or give off a strong chemical odor: "If it smells, don't touch it, it's going to burn you. Call the police and we'll come and get it. Don't endanger yourself."
