On April 21, 2004, the Boundary Waters Drug Task Force and the St. Louis County Sheriff's Department received a tip from a concerned citizen that there was methamphetamine lab equipment hidden near the West Two Rivers Reservoir off of County State Highway 101 in Mountain Iron. Deputies found methamphetamine lab equipment there.
The public is asked to report items or containers that are suspicious. Some items that people should be aware of and look for are: coffee filters, propane tanks with blue brass fittings, anhydrous ammonia, any cold tablets containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, ether, sulfuric acid, muriatic acid, funnels, toluene, gun scrubber, red devil drain cleaner (sodium hydroxide), lithium batteries, red phosphorus, acetone, denatured alcohol (rubbing alcohol), Pyrex or Corning glass ware, rubber tubbing, gas cans and brake cleaner.
The public should use caution when finding a methamphetamine site. For every pound of methamphetamine produced or attempted, approximately six pounds of toxic waste remains to contaminate the environment.
The reckless practices by clandestine meth lab operators can result in fires that could injure and kill not only the lab operator and associated, but also innocent bystanders, neighbors, law enforcement officers and firemen who come in contact with a lab.
The Boundary Waters Drug Task Force has recovered four methamphetamine labs or lab dump sites in 2004.
