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Show 147779 V -' " v '" i" ' :-J& . . : -,i f : J ' ,. - -nvt , lf- w V,.- L , fa j met t m , i ' ! . . Z,""-'o " f ... ' - J Art Aragon, who works for the Hazardous Waste Division of Waste Management, was part of the clean-up effort at Thursday's investigation following the Wednesday night meth lab bust in Cannonville. He and partner Rob Y arosik safely breakdown meth labs, as well as analyze, inventory and package the leftover waste products. 'Larger Than Average9 Meth Lab In Cannonville Utah's Is 101st Since October 1 1998 By Nancy Twitchell Garfield County News Editor CANNONVILLE Experts who arrived early at the scene of last week's drug bust in. Cannonville Cannon-ville to handle and remove the hazardous haz-ardous materials associated with the potentially dangerous methamphetamine metham-phetamine lab law officers discovered discov-ered said it was their "101st meth lab in the state of Utah since October Octo-ber 1, 1998. Once Garfield County Sheriff Than Cooper determined the actual existence of a methamphetamine lab in Cannonville last week, they were required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to contact a private hazardous waste company that contracts with the Drug Enforcement En-forcement Administration (DEA) for the state of Utah to handle and removal hazardous lab materials. Rob Yarosik and Art Aragon (See HAZARDOUS on Page 6A) V V ' - ! prx-,. " ."I L O' ' . ft: mat v- i V t fly v ,4 - -. t t v ( o Mf ? : 1 i .... i-zax iJ i "srrx . iM Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Gaylen Moore keeps track of the stolen property that was brought out of several sheds by volunteer firefighters who came to load the stolen goods in a U-Haul truck. The goods were transported to the sheriffs office in Panauitch for later investigation. Hazardous Waste Experts Clean Up Meth Lab Sites From Front Page were the two field analysts dispatched dis-patched from the Hazardous Waste Division of Waste Management in West Jordan. Yarosik said typically they are contacted and according to their contract must be on the road within one hour to any location within the state of Utah. "This particular operation in Cannonville took approximately 10 hours at a cost of $5,965," according accord-ing to head of the IronGarfield Narcotics Nar-cotics Task Force David Excell. Excell pointed out that "clean-up and removal costs do not accrue to the county involved but are paid for out of a Federal Hazardous Materials Materi-als Fund." A third analyst, Dan Cum-mings, Cum-mings, remained in the office to handle additional calls, but typically one or all three of them handle every meth lab bust that takes place in the state of Utah. Yarosik has been on-the-job for 18 months while Aragon has now logged six months. Each must have a science degree or some background in chemistry. Both agents agree their jobs are interesting and challenging "but could be difficult on a relationship or family life," states Yarosik. Whichever field analysts are dispatched, dis-patched, they drive a large Volvo 24-foot boxed truck to the location, hauling all necessary equipment and materials to handle all types of waste removal and disposal. The pair arrived on the scene in Cannonville and would generally set up work tables to handle their lap top computer and equipment. However, the IronGarfield Narcotics Narcot-ics Task Force had anticipated those needs and were fully prepared with their own tables, chairs, etc. Field analysts wear disposable protective outer wear, gloves and masks and are the "primary" experts at the scene when it comes to chemicals and meth labs. They also bring along air purifying equipment and supplied air respirators respira-tors (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus Ap-paratus such as those used by fire fighters) to each operation. Task Force personnel also have extensive training in meth lab handling and securing the area. The analysts arrive on the scene and log on to their lap top computer, com-puter, segregating all materials at the site according to Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Their lap top contains a chemical dictionary with over 20,000 chemicals chemi-cals and their properties identified. According to Yarosik "this was an above-average-size lab" relative to those that they have handled in their time with Waste Management. An additional site, about three miles from the meth lab, which had been frequented by the suspects in this case, was analyzed and found to be contaminated. A campfire was identified in which were thrown pesticides, herbicides, strychnine, lye, aerosols. The dirt at that site also had to be dug up and hauled off. The size of an operation is based on potential yield as well as materials materi-als seized at the site. Yarosik remarked re-marked "that this was larger than most." The pair work steadily and take whatever amount of time is required to secure the lab and materials for future disposal. They list all chemicals that go to a waste incinerator, incin-erator, packaging them in fiber drums for transport to Sauget, 111. Each container is marked with a personalized EPA label with the DOT shipping name printed out from a printer attached to the lap top. All "hazardous debris" associated associ-ated with the scene is packaged in metal drums, dully labeled and prepared pre-pared for transport to Kettleman Hills, Calif., for hazardous landfill disposal. Their company, Waste Management Man-agement was called on for the removal re-moval of waste materials after the explosion at WECCO in Cedar City last year and they are becom- (See HAZARDOUS on Page 7A) Hazardous Waste Experts Clean Up Meth Lab Sites From Page 6A ing increasingly familiar with the southern end of the state. During winter months they come to southern south-ern Utah about once every two weeks but incidents slow down in summer months. Also on hand for this particular field operation was Criminalist John Gerlits associated with the southern region satellite office of the State Crime Lab with the Division Divi-sion of Criminal Investigations, Department of Public Safety for the State of Utah. Gerlits works at the Technology Building at Southern Utah University (SUU) in Cedar City. Other satellite offices in the state are located in Price and Ogden. Gerlits has worked with the crime lab for eight years with sci- ence degrees and a background in chemistry. He collects samples, conducts testing and chemical analysis on substances, can document docu-ment fingerprints and take photographs photo-graphs at the scene. He has been called upon to testify as an expert witness in numerous meth lab cases and predominantly works in this southern region covering Iron, Beaver, Bea-ver, Millard, Garfield, Kane, Sevier and Washington counties. Gerlits and all the trained hazardous haz-ardous materials agents not only lend professionalism and validity to a case but allow other law enforcement enforce-ment professionals on scene, not so technically trained, to breathe a litter easier at these ever increasing meth lab busts. |
