Tom Harkin Congratulates Iowa Law Enforcement On Installing Anhydrous Ammonia Tank Locks In All 99 Counties

July 3, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a press conference in Des Moines today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) congratulated Iowa law enforcement officials for advancing the fight against meth by completing a statewide lockup of anhydrous ammonia tanks. All 99 Iowa counties have now been provided with tank locks. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Harkin secured virtually all of the funding for the tank locking effort through the Community Oriented Policing Services Meth Hot Spots program.

“Today, we are marking a major milestone in the war on meth. Now every county in Iowa has their tanks locked up, making it more difficult for meth producers to steal anhydrous ammonia and make this destructive drug,” Harkin said. “Locking up these tanks is a simple and inexpensive, yet critical and highly successful step in curbing the production of meth in our state.”

Article continues below...

Harkin started the Iowa tank lock project in 2002, to prevent the theft of anhydrous ammonia, a highly toxic chemical used for fertilizer that is also a key ingredient in the production of methamphetamine. The project began with $200,000 to buy tank locks for the areas with the highest number of meth labs, and has since expanded, allowing Iowa law enforcement officials to secure thousands of tanks at a cost of about $45.00 each.

“I am proud that through the tank lock project, and enacting the strictest pseudoephedrine control law in the country, the state of Iowa has made some great strides in our struggle against meth,” Harkin said. “We must continue to come up with new, innovative ways to combat meth so that this drug will no longer ravage Iowa families.”

In addition to obtaining federal funding for tank locks, Harkin also recently introduced the Methamphetamine Abuse Treatment and Prevention Act. This legislation would make strategic investments in programs that are already showing results in both rural and urban communities. It would remove barriers to treatment and expand access to family- and jail-based treatment programs, specifically in underserved areas.

“In addition to reducing the supply of meth, we also have to invest in treatment and prevention programs that will reduce the demand for this highly addictive drug,” Harkin said. “By continuing to wage a two-front offensive against meth, we can help Iowans overcome their addiction and stomp out this deadly epidemic.”

Source: Senator Tom Harkin