CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A hazmat call last week at the East Lake Landfill in Clearlake led to the discovery of four methamphetamine labs.
Sgt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said that on Thursday, March 22, at approximately 12:30 p.m. the Lake County Narcotics Task Force responded to the landfill at the request of the Lake County Fire Protection District HAZMAT Team.
Brooks said the Lake County Fire HAZMAT team had responded to the landfill after the operator of a bulldozer had run over a black plastic garbage bag as he was moving garbage.
The contents of the bag began to off gas, which produced a large visible chemical cloud, Brooks said.
The narcotics detectives located several two liter bottles containing both solid and liquid materials, according to Brooks.
Based on the detectives’ training and experience it was determined that the bottles were used to manufacture methamphetamine, using what is referred to as the “Birch Reduction” method, Brooks said.
He said a search of the trash by both the Lake County HAZMAT Team and narcotics detectives didn't provide any leads as to who was responsible for the labs.
They also did not locate any additional items associated with the manufacturing of methamphetamine, he said.
Anyone with information about this or any other drug-related case in the unincorporated county can contact the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force's anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.