Local taxpayers paying more money to clean up meth labs - WSLS 10 NBC in Roanoke/Lynchburg Va
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Local taxpayers are paying more to clean up meth labs.
The Montgomery County sheriff's office said it's already paid $7,095 to clean up meth labs so far this year, only about $500 less than it paid for clean ups during all of 2012.
"This year, if that trend continues, [the cost to local taxpayers] could exceed $30,000 or $40,000," explained Montgomery County sheriff's office Captain Bradley St. Clair.
The U.S. Department of Justice used to help local sheriffs offices and police departments by footing the bill for meth lab clean ups.
St. Clair said that pot of money has been dry since October.
St. Clair confirmed that it's the "one pot" cooking version that is the problem, where meth cooks manufacture the drug in 20 ounce or two liter soda bottles.
While St. Clair said the one pot method is cheaper to clean up, meth cooks are starting to get better, and greedier.
St. Clair said, whereas in the past they were finding labs with only two or three bottles, "Now we're starting to find 8, 9, 10, or 12 bottles in one lab."
The bigger the labs get the more they cost to clean up.
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