III

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 291

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the reprogramming of funds

for the Drug Enforcement Administration for fiscal year 2000 in order

to assist State and local efforts to clean up methamphetamine laboratories.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

APRIL 13, 2000

Mr. HUTCHINSON (for himself, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. HATCH, Mr. CRAIG, Mr.

THOMAS and Mr. FRIST) submitted the following resolution; which was

referred to the Committee on Appropriations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the reprogramming of funds for the Drug Enforcement Administration

for fiscal year 2000 in order to assist State and local

efforts to clean up methamphetamine laboratories.

Whereas the participation of the Drug Enforcement Administration in the seizures of methamphetamine laboratories

has increased drastically since 1994;

Whereas in 1994, the Drug Enforcement Administration participated in the seizure of only 306 clandestine laboratories, 86 percent of which were methamphetamine laboratories;

Whereas in 1999, a total of 6,325 methamphetamine and amphetamine laboratories were seized in the United States,
2

•SRES 291 IS

and the Drug Enforcement Administration participated

in 1,948 of those seizures;

Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration and State

and local law enforcement agencies spend millions of dollars every year cleaning up the pollutants and toxins created and left behind by operators of clandestine methamphetamine and amphetamine laboratories;

Whereas methamphetamine manufacturing poses serious dangers to human life and the environment;

Whereas the chemicals and substances used in methamphetamine manufacturing are unstable, volatile, and highly

combustible, and the smallest amounts of such chemicals,

when mixed improperly, can cause explosions and fire;

Whereas most clandestine methamphetamine and amphetamine laboratories are situated in residences, motels,

trailers, and vans, thereby increasing the danger posed by

such explosions and fire;

Whereas for every pound of methamphetamine that is produced, more than five pounds of toxic waste is produced

and left behind;

Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration has been assisting State and local law enforcement agencies in cleaning up methamphetamine laboratory sites;

Whereas State and local agencies lack the financial ability,

equipment, and training to cleanup these sites, and therefore rely predominately, if not entirely, on the Drug Enforcement Administration to clean up methamphetamine

laboratories;

Whereas the funds appropriated to the Drug Enforcement

Administration for fiscal year 2000 for the cleanup of

State and local methamphetamine laboratories were ex-
3

•SRES 291 IS

hausted in March 2000, though the number of methamphetamine laboratories has continued to increase dramatically;

Whereas the exhaustion of Drug Enforcement Administration

funds to assist State and local methamphetamine laboratory cleanup efforts results in a great increase in the risk

of harm to State and local law enforcement officers, the

public, and the environment; and

Whereas it is imperative that sufficient funding be provided

to the Drug Enforcement Administration for methamphetamine laboratory cleanup, and the Department of

Justice has suggested that $10,000,000 be reprogrammed in its budget for this purpose: Now, therefore,

be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that of

2 the funds appropriated or otherwise made available for the

3 Department of Justice for fiscal year 2000, $10,000,000

4 should be reprogrammed for the Drug Enforcement Ad5 ministration in order to permit the Drug Enforcement Ad6 ministration to assist State and local efforts to clean up

7 methamphetamine laboratories in fiscal year 2000.

Æ