Meth Lab Clean Up Money Dries Up
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Law enforcement officials across the state are working harder than ever to stop the growing number of meth labs. A recent report lists Tennessee as the number one state for meth seizures in the nation, and to make matters worse, now your wallet could be feeling the pinch for every lab they take down. Tennessee went from getting about $4.6 million for meth lab clean-up to zero dollars. And now local law enforcement agencies are left wondering how they can foot the bill. Pamela White is now wondering if she can afford to shop, knowing quite a few of her tax dollars could soon be going to pay for someone else’s crime. White, says, “I am mad because we work hard for our money everyday and then they are going to take it to clean up some meth?” Local law enforcement agencies say they really do not have many other choices because as of right now, there is no money in the federal budget to clean up meth. And to say that is a big concern, according to the Obion County sheriff, is an understatement. Sheriff Jerry Vastbinder, adds, “With our county being hit with the news that the Goodyear Tire and Rubber plant is leaving, then we know we’re losing more tax dollars, so it’s a burden for Obion County, as it will be for all the counties across Tennessee.” In the last five months alone, the state has used more than $4.6 million to clean up labs, but since all that funding has stopped, Sheriff Vastbinder, says, now he will take the money from drug seizures to clean up the labs. Now, the smallest lab takes about $2,500 to clean, so needless to say, it will not take long before the drug account is dried up, and then it all falls back on the taxpayers. Now Sheriff Vastbinder says, the long-tern fix and best fix is using lab certified officers to clean up the meth and then put regional dumpsites up to dispose of the waste. Sheriff Vastbinder, adds, “The big problem with this is funding somebody is going to have to pay for all these dumpsters.” But where do you put all the hazardous waste, and how do you secure them, so meth addicts do not break into them. Those are all questions, White, says, need to be ironed out now. There is a committee meeting through the state meth task force Friday to discuss other solutions.
