Des Moines Register
10-10-06
Additive to anhydrous would inhibit meth makers
By JERRY PERKINS
REGISTER FARM EDITOR
A chemical that will prevent methamphetamine makers from using anhydrous
ammonia as a raw material for the drug will be added to the widely used nitrogen
fertilizer, state officials said Monday.
Marvin Van Haaften, director of the Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy, said
the chemical, known as calcium nitrate, can be added to each of the 26,000
tanks used in Iowa for the application of anhydrous ammonia.
The discovery of the inhibitor has national and international implications because
of the widespread use of methamphetamine, he said.
Gov. Tom Vilsack hailed the discovery as a way to make Iowa's communities
safer.
"The message to all those who are interested in making meth is, 'don't bother,' "
Vilsack said. "This will reduce to zero the meth that is cooked in Iowa."
Ninety percent of meth used in Iowa is imported from other states or Mexico, Van
Haaften said, but discovery of the inhibitor will be a serious barrier for Iowabased meth makers.
Farmers use anhydrous ammonia to fertilize fields for corn. Locks have been
installed on many anhydrous tanks, but they still have been broken into by meth
makers.
Iowa State University chemistry professors George Kraus and John
Verkade discovered adding calcium nitrate to anhydrous ammonia tanks renders
the fertilizer useless as a meth ingredient.
The chemists researched the question for six years, using $1.2 million in federal
money secured by U.S. Sens. Tom Harkin, D-Ia., and Charles Grassley, R-Ia.
Harkin also credited U.S. Reps. Leonard Boswell, D-Ia., and Steve King, R-Ia.,
for their work in the House of Representatives for securing the money.
"It was an accidental discovery," Verkade said.
Kraus said the two chemists worked with John Whipple of the Iowa Department
of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to find a chemical that would be effective
and environmentally benign.
Calcium nitrate, which is another form of nitrogen fertilizer, fits both requirements,
he said.
The fertilizer is made by Yara, a Norwegian-based company.
Ross Johnson, national sales manager for Yara North America, said the
company imports about 200,000 tons a year of calcium nitrate into the United
States.
Dave Coppess of Heartland Cooperative said adding calcium nitrate to
anhydrous ammonia at a rate of 9 gallons a ton costs about $1 to $1.50 an acre.
It will be difficult to add the meth inhibitor to all the anhydrous ammonia tanks in
Iowa this fall, when many farmers like to apply fertilizer, Coppess said, but it can
be done by spring.
Farm Editor Jerry Perkins can be reached at (515) 284-8456 or
jperkins@dmreg.com