One‐Pot (Shake & Bake) Methamphetamine Labs: Presentation

Tribal Meth Webinar Series

Thursday, February 23, 2012

One‐Pot (Shake & Bake) Methamphetamine Labs

What This Presentation Is… Brief overview overview of of one one‐pot methamphetamine labs • Brief of some some of of their their hazards • Description of

• Lab identification

What This Presentation Is Not • This is not training on how to take down and process a meth lab! – To process a meth lab, you need a 40 hour Hazwopper class. If If your your agency sends you out to process a meth lab without this training and you get injured, your agency has some real liability problems.

– First Responder training is an 8‐hour course.

Dwain Worley - One Pot Method

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One‐Pot labs convert pseudoephedrine into methamphetamine

One‐Pot Labs are a derivative of the Nazi method

Nazi Labs • Three Key Ingredients – Ephedrine/Pseudoephedrine – Lithium metal (Photo Batteries) – Sodium metal works also, but is rarely used.

– Anhydrous Ammonia


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Law Enforcement Targets Anhydrous Ammonia • Non‐approved Container Law • Stake out CO‐OP fertilizer lots • Tank Locks, Additives to Anhydrous to prevent synthesis, Dyes to Anhydrous tanks

DIY Anhydrous Ammonia Ammonium Nitrate or Ammonium Sulfate +

Sodium Hydroxide (Red Devil Lye) +

(a little) water = “Anhydrous” Ammonia

Ammonium Nitrate Cold Packs (gets cold when mixed with water) Urea based cold packs sort of work – but not very well.


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Ammonium Nitrate

Clandestine cooks are starting to use fertilizer sticks in place of the cold packs.

Obtaining Pseudoephedrine

Obtaining Pseudoephedrine Some states are controlling and/or monitoring the sale of pseudoephedrine.


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Preparing Pseudoephedrine Tablets

Tablets are ground up, and occasionally extracted with solvent.

Obtaining Lithium

Lithium is removed from readily available “Lithium” batteries.

Obtaining Lithium

“Peeled” battery

Lithium is metal strip in front.


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One‐Pot Methamphetamine Production Camp stove fuel is most common in Kansas. Starting fluid is often used as a solvent for the reaction. Starting fluid if very flammable.

One‐Pot/Shake & Bake • All ingredients (including flammable solvents, lithium and a small amount of water are added to a single container NOTE: Lithium reacts violently when it comes into contact with water

One‐Pot/Shake & Bake • After reaction takes place, the methamphetamine will be in the liquid layer.

• The liquid is “gassed” to obtain methamphetamine.


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HCl Gas Generators Salt and sulfuric acid drain cleaner are mixed to produce hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas. “Ice‐melt” products are sometimes substituted for rock salt.

“One‐Pot Gassing”

HCl gas from gassing generator is bubbled through the solvent / methamphetaminesolution to form methamphetamine crystals which …

“One‐Pot Gassing”

… falls to the bottom of the solution.


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Methamphetamine Production

The solvent containing methamphetamine is filtered to recover the methamphetamine

One‐Pot Cook Video

NES / Tulsa PD “Experiments”


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Pressure builds which limits reaction – until pressure is released. NOTE: Flashes of flame in right picture as lithium contacts water – insufficient oxygen to support flame.

Hot Lithium burns hole in bottom of plastic jar. Once released, sufficient oxygen is present to support flame.

Hot Lithium burns hole in bottom of plastic jar. Once released, sufficient oxygen is present to support flame.

Technically – this is not an explosion!


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NES / Tulsa PD “Experiments” • Eight (8) cooks were conducted – Four (4) cooks failed due to the reaction of lithium and water happening too close to the side of the bottle

– Of those four (4), three (3) burned through then had no additional flame/fire – One (1) of those four (4) did continue to burn after the bottle had failed

• In this case, it was not immediately after the failure. • In other states, cooks are using glass bottles and/or metal cans instead of plastic bottles ‐ these fail as well for the same reasons.

One‐Pot Hazards • Pressurized Bottles – Because pressure shuts down the reaction – a bottle can look pretty tame, but when the lid is cracked open the reaction can start up again.

– Pressurized solvents can spray out of the bottle. • This liquid can contain quite a bit of ammonia. • This liquid may contain lithium and water that can react and serve as an ignition source.

One‐Pot Hazards (continued)

• Rolling or tilting the bottle can expose un‐reacted lithium to water which can burn through the side of the container – causing flame thrower effect.

• Dried reaction material is fine strongly basic powder that can easily become airborne.

• Tulsa seems to have a lot of fire problems.


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Tulsa PD procedure (this is a summary – check with them for specifics)

• Get the Fire Department on scene • Wear appropriate safety gear • Wait until bottle starts reacting. • If necessary move bottle to safe area (outside) – Place in fire resistant over pack and pour Vermiculite around it.

– Once in safe area – remove from over pack • (working with over pack can produce chimney effect)

Tulsa PD procedure • Loosen lid slowly – if reaction starts up – back off and wait. – Repeat until cap is completely removed. • Use razor knife to cut off the top of container. • Scoop out floating lithium strips (don’t push them to the bottom). Place in mineral oil. • Pour off solvent. • Dispose of sludge.

One Pot Lab Evidence


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(one man’s trash…)

One‐Pot Lab Evidence



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Common Hazards Of All Clandestine Labs • Inhalation And Splash Hazards – Strong Acids And Bases – Acid Gas Generators – Organic Solvents – Chemical Contamination

• Methamphetamine Cooks – Do Not Know The Chemical Dangers – Do Not Care About The Dangers

Current Trends • About 90% of what our KBI agents are getting is One‐Pot labs. • The other 10% depends on location – Southeast Kansas – mostly Red Phosphorus – Other places in Kansas – traditional Nazi

Cleanup Issues • When law enforcement executes a warrant on a meth lab, they are considered the generator of the hazardous waste.

• Funding for waste disposal & cleanup has become scarce.

• The appropriate time to address clan lab clean up is now – before you are on site wondering what to do with all of the hazardous material.


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Cleanup Issues • At one time KDHE helped with disposal of the chemicals. It was done right and in the most economical way possible. This was a something that Kansas did very well!

• KDHE also made sure that dwellings used as clan labs were safe before they could be reoccupied.

Questions?


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One‐Pot (Shake & Bake) Methamphetamine Labs: Presentation

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