He wanted to let me know that local sheriffs like himself were no longer getting help from the U.S. Department of Justice in their fight against the illegal drug methamphetamine. Meth, as it is referred to on the street, is an illegal stimulant that is quickly becoming a major problem in rural America. Because meth is highly toxic, each lab that is discovered requires specialized clean-up procedures that cost an average of five to seven thousand dollars.
Many rural counties discover numerous labs each month.
For instance, White County Sheriff Guy Goff and his deputies have been averaging seven busts of meth labs per month. For small counties, cleaning-up several labs a month puts a terrible strain on law enforcement agencies that are often operating on tight budgets in the first place. Due to the tremendous expense involved, Congress has regularly appropriated money to the DEA to help local communities clean-up meth labs. However, the money the DEA could use for the program ran out in February. Rural communities could not afford the expensive clean-up process by themselves.