Senator Addresses Annual Meth, Substance Abuse Conference

CASPER, WY – During the keynote speech at the 5th Annual Methamphetamine and Substance Abuse Conference in Casper, U.S. Senator John Barrasso, R-Wyo., urged passage of legislation to utilize seized criminal funds to clean up meth labs.

“This bill doesn’t cost Wyoming taxpayers a dime,” Barrasso said. “It makes criminals pay for criminal activity.”

Barrasso is the lead Republican sponsor of S. 2100, the “Federal Emergency Meth Lab Cleanup Funding Act of 2007.” The bill would make the U.S. Department of Treasury Forfeiture Fund (TFF) available to help property owners clean up contaminated meth lab sites.

The TFF is a special account that houses seized criminal funds – from drug cartels to terrorist organizations.

“We must work together to prevent and treat substance abuse,” Barrasso added. “We must also deal with the additional consequences of meth production and distribution. Meth lab clean-ups are very expensive and could put our small motel owners and landlords out of business.”

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, it can cost tens of thousands of dollars to clean-up a meth lab site and repair the damage.

The TFF would cover up to 90 percent of cleanup costs on private property – if the property owner: did not know the meth lab was in operation before law enforcement closed it; or, notified law enforcement within 24 hours after discovering a meth lab.

“In a rural state like Wyoming , the people affected by this epidemic are not just nameless, faceless statistics. They are our friends, our relatives, our co-workers, and our neighbor’s children.”

“As Senator, I will continue to do my part both at home and in Washington to ensure Wyoming leads the nation in building safe communities where our families thrive and our children have every opportunity to achieve their dreams.”