[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 291 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 291

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the reprogramming of funds 
 for the Drug Enforcement Administration for fiscal year 2000 in order 
     to assist State and local efforts to clean up methamphetamine 
                             laboratories.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 13, 2000

 Mr. Hutchinson (for himself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Craig, Mr. 
  Thomas and Mr. Frist) submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Appropriations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the reprogramming of funds 
 for the Drug Enforcement Administration for fiscal year 2000 in order 
     to assist State and local efforts to clean up methamphetamine 
                             laboratories.

Whereas the participation of the Drug Enforcement Administration in the seizures 
        of methamphetamine laboratories has increased drastically since 1994;
Whereas in 1994, the Drug Enforcement Administration participated in the seizure 
        of only 306 clandestine laboratories, 86 percent of which were 
        methamphetamine laboratories;
Whereas in 1999, a total of 6,325 methamphetamine and amphetamine laboratories 
        were seized in the United States, and the Drug Enforcement 
        Administration participated in 1,948 of those seizures;
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration and State and local law enforcement 
        agencies spend millions of dollars every year cleaning up the pollutants 
        and toxins created and left behind by operators of clandestine 
        methamphetamine and amphetamine laboratories;
Whereas methamphetamine manufacturing poses serious dangers to human life and 
        the environment;
Whereas the chemicals and substances used in methamphetamine manufacturing are 
        unstable, volatile, and highly combustible, and the smallest amounts of 
        such chemicals, when mixed improperly, can cause explosions and fire;
Whereas most clandestine methamphetamine and amphetamine laboratories are 
        situated in residences, motels, trailers, and vans, thereby increasing 
        the danger posed by such explosions and fire;
Whereas for every pound of methamphetamine that is produced, more than five 
        pounds of toxic waste is produced and left behind;
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration has been assisting State and local 
        law enforcement agencies in cleaning up methamphetamine laboratory 
        sites;
Whereas State and local agencies lack the financial ability, equipment, and 
        training to cleanup these sites, and therefore rely predominately, if 
        not entirely, on the Drug Enforcement Administration to clean up 
        methamphetamine laboratories;
Whereas the funds appropriated to the Drug Enforcement Administration for fiscal 
        year 2000 for the cleanup of State and local methamphetamine 
        laboratories were exhausted in March 2000, though the number of 
        methamphetamine laboratories has continued to increase dramatically;
Whereas the exhaustion of Drug Enforcement Administration funds to assist State 
        and local methamphetamine laboratory cleanup efforts results in a great 
        increase in the risk of harm to State and local law enforcement 
        officers, the public, and the environment; and
Whereas it is imperative that sufficient funding be provided to the Drug 
        Enforcement Administration for methamphetamine laboratory cleanup, and 
        the Department of Justice has suggested that $10,000,000 be reprogrammed 
        in its budget for this purpose: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that of the funds 
appropriated or otherwise made available for the Department of Justice 
for fiscal year 2000, $10,000,000 should be reprogrammed for the Drug 
Enforcement Administration in order to permit the Drug Enforcement 
Administration to assist State and local efforts to clean up 
methamphetamine laboratories in fiscal year 2000.
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