Jim Costa: “as a member of the Science Committee, I would like to thank Chairman Boehlert and Ranking Member Gordon for introducing…”

“as a member of the Science Committee, I would like to thank Chairman Boehlert and Ranking Member Gordon for introducing this legislation. I believe it is very important throughout the country. I rise in strong support of the methamphetamine Remediation Act before us today. While meth abuse is currently sweeping the country, causing great alarm for law enforcement and health officials, we in California's San Joaquin Valley have been fighting rampant meth abuse, production and clean up for over 20 years. Meth is California's largest drug threat, and the Valley suffers one of the highest rates of abuse, both in production and use. According to local law enforcement officials, over 13,500 pounds of meth have been seized over the last 3 years. In 2004, Fresno made 180 meth related felony arrests. These are significant achievements, but there is more to be done. The San Joaquin Valley law enforcement successfully reduced the number of Superlabs seizures from 27 in 2003 to 9 in 2004. However, the need to ensure the former labs are cleaned to a safe level is key to protecting our communities. Meth abusers are not the only victims of this destructive drug. The production of meth in meth labs and ``super labs'' leave dangerous bi- products, putting innocent children and law enforcement into harms way.…”