Contact: Ernie Blazar 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Tuesday, January 21, 2003

WASHINGTON, DC –– U.S. Senator Kit Bond today announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved $1 million in federal dollars for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for clean-up and removal of methamphetamine.

"These dollars will help Missouri law enforcement officers more safely combat the on-going meth war in our state," said Bond, who secured the federal money in the fiscal year 2001 appropriations bill.

The $1 million in federal dollars will be used to fund training and equipment needs for law enforcement personnel. The training and equipment will allow law enforcement to transport the dangerous chemicals to a temporary collection station for processing and disposal. Currently, law enforcement officers experience a significant time-lag waiting for a disposal contractor to arrive on the scene of a seized laboratory. Also, funds will provide safe, legal places to store clandestine drug waste for law enforcement.

Missouri earned the sad distinction as meth capitol of the U.S. because of it’s location in the middle of the country, number of small towns and national forest acres, rural makeup and the number of interstate highways crisscrossing the state. These factors caused the state to become a draw for methamphetamine cookers, distributors, dealers and smugglers.

In the last two years, Bond has secured $5.6 million in federal funds which has been distributed directly to 33 local Missouri sheriffs' offices and 16 multi-county law enforcement task forces through the bi-partisan MOSMART. The money he has secured has helped local law enforcement hire 21 new full-time meth investigators and three full-time drug intelligence analysts in 2001. This manpower boost led to a sharp increase in arrests and lab seizures across the state last year, proving the value of the MOSMART program.

Kit Bond is Missouri’s senior Senator and is now in his third term after having served the state previously during two terms as Governor.