According to industry sources, restrictions on cold medicines appear to be dimming the need for anhydrous ammonia additives, leaving some of those additives, still in the development pipeline, in a quandary. “As you do not need anhydrous to make meth, but you do need pseudoephedrine, we believe controls on this product are the most effective means of curbing domestic meth production,” TFI spokeswoman Kathy Mathers told Green Markets. “In states that took steps to control cold medicine sales prior to the implementation of the national law, meth lab busts were reduced by as much as 80 percent.”
Iowa’s top drug control policy officer insists there’s still a need for an anhydrous ammonia additive even though other measures, including restrictions on the sale of cold medicines, are making significant reductions in the number of illegal methamphetamine labs.
While tighter controls on over-the-counter medications containing pseudoephedrine are believed to be doing the job in several states, Iowa’s calcium nitrate additive for anhydrous has run into funding problems and won’t complete structural tests until the end of the year, officials reported. The industrial chemical ferrocene, found in a New York study to be effective, can’t be pursued without endorsements by the governor and legislators. GloTell, which turns perpetrators pink when added to ammonia, is undergoing distributor changes after Agrium Inc.’s acquisition of Royster-Clark Inc., which had been marketing the dye additive. Agrium confirmed last week that it has no involvement with GloTell.
Oregon officials report restricting over-the-counter sales resulted in reducing the number of labs by more than half last year, and Oklahoma says meth lab seizures have declined 80 percent. An Arizona law took effect last October. In the meantime, locking up anhydrous tanks is catching on in farm states such as Ohio, where state agriculture and law enforcement officials are looking for ways to pay for 10,000 valve locks at a cost of about $40 each.
Marvin Van Haaften, who heads the governor’s office of drug control policy, reported that while Iowa is pursuing the calcium nitrate additive, there are currently locks in use for NH3 tanks in 77 counties, with the final 22 counties expected to be locked in the next fiscal year. Van Haaften added, “We also have one of the nation’s toughest pseudoephedrine laws, which, in combination with the tank locks and vigilant enforcement, has resulted in a reduction in clandestine meth lab responses of over 75 percent.”
At the same time, Van Haaften told Green Markets that funding limitations have slowed progress on the Iowa State University-developed anhydrous additive, with only the first round of structural testing being completed to date. He noted, “We hope to conduct the second round of tests, including rail car, pipeline, semi-tanker and storage tank steel, later this year.” After that, he said, the scope of the additive likely will be reduced from what was originally envisioned as treating all agriculture NH3 throughout the state to more strategic applications in regions or specific sites particularly troubled by meth-related thefts.
Distribution of GloTell has now shifted to direct sales to end users in the agriculture and industrial markets, according to its originator, Tim Bickett, of Bickett Farms in Shaneetown, Ill. Bickett said the direct-sales approach will be coupled with a substantial price reduction. GloTell Distributors LLC has a new web site, www.GloTell.com, which will provide information to prospective buyers and re-sellers on its proper use in the agricultural and industrial markets. The 1-866-STOPMETH phone number will be retained for orders and inquiries.