Congressman Zach Wamp said Tuesday that he hopes to get $1 million more to help East Tennessee law officers in their fight against methamphetamine.

"As a member of the House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Subcommittee, I was able to get the House to include $1 million more for this important mission to protect the health and safety of folks in East Tennessee," Wamp said. "This funding specifically includes $100,000 for a video conferencing system for the Office of Hamilton County District Atty. Gen. Bill Cox. This will enable the Hamilton County District Attorney's office to set up the first pilot program in the State of Tennessee to allow crime victims and their families to take part via television from hundreds of miles away in parole hearings for the criminals who caused them harm."

Wamp gave the update during a meeting of law officers from the 18 Tennessee Counties that are part of the Eastern Appalachian Task Force on Methamphetamine Eradication in Tennessee. Also present were U.S. Attorney Carl Kirkpatrick of Knoxville, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Russ Dedrick and Hamilton County District Atty. Gen. Bill Cox.

 "You don't know how deeply we appreciate what Congressman Wamp has done for us," said Kirkpatrick.

District Attorney Bill Cox said: "Until now crime victims had to face great heart-ache and inconvenience and often travel long-distances if they wanted to 'say their piece' during parole hearings for the offenders who committed crimes against them. This new system will enable victims in Hamilton County cases to come to the district attorney's office in Chattanooga and 'virtually attend' the parole hearing even if it is in a state prison that's miles away. They will be able to see the hearing on television, and we will have a television camera and microphone that picks up their comments so that the parole board and others can see and hear their comments. Congressman Wamp has played a key role in making us the first district attorney's office in the state to help crime victims have their say about what happens to the criminals who harmed them."

The menace of methamphetamine has risen rapidly in recent years, prompting a major counter-offensive from federal, state and local law enforcement. In all of fiscal year 1998, 44 meth labs were busted in Tennessee. But that number nearly tripled the following year, rising to 116. And as of Aug.1, about 170 labs were seized in Tennessee.

"Our methamphetamine task force is a leader in the Southeast region in numbers of meth labs seized," Wamp said. "In the last year, federal authorities in the area have arrested, prosecuted or convicted over 100 defendants in the these cases including a Chattanooga meth felon who was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison - without parole. So our war on meth IS getting results."

The funds are being used to buy additional equipment for the task force, including computers for processing intelligence information about methamphetamine producers and to pay two Tennessee National Guardsmen based in Chattanooga to work with intelligence information. The money will also pay overtime for task force officers and buy needed safety equipment, including respirators and protective suits, for officers who handle hazardous chemicals taken in lab seizures. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Nashville will receive $250,000 to upgrade its lab. In addition money is needed to dispose of the hazardous chemicals and substances found at meth lab sites.

The chemicals must be disposed of in accordance with strict - and expensive - environmental requirements.

Kirkpatrick said that being able to dispose of hazardous chemicals and materials seized from meth labs is an essential second step in the process. "You can't seize the labs unless you can safely and properly dispose of what you find in them," the U.S. Attorney said. "It's like shining shoes. You can't shine one shoe without shining the other."

"We should receive the $1 million appropriated last year in the next few weeks," Wamp said. "And I am very hopeful about getting up to an additional $1 million in the coming year in the appropriations bill that is finally signed by President Clinton," Wamp said. "As a member of the Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Subcommittee, I'll be part of the conference that works out differences in the two appropriations bills passed by the House and Senate, and I will work as hard as I can to get this money in the final bill."

"The methamphetamine merchants of death should know that I will continue to do all I can to help our federal, state and local law officers fight and eliminate this scourge," Wamp said. "The top Federal Drug Czar, Gen. Barry McCaffrey was absolutely right when he said that meth 'remains one of the most dangerous substances America has ever confronted.'"