Topeka ? Thieves are roaming the state in search of “white buffaloes” tanks filled with anhydrous ammonia, which can be used to produce a quick batch of methamphetamines.

Kansas legislators, anhydrous ammonia manufacturers, and law and agriculture officials are trying to thwart the thieves with new laws, increased education and the development of new locking devices.

Michael Steinle, environmental manager for Farmland Industries, Inc., has developed a lock-box design for anhydrous ammonia tanks that would prevent thieves from tapping into tanks of the liquid-gas fertilizer, which is a key ingredient in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Several prototypes of the design are shown here.

But the lure of cheap highs and big profits on illegal drug sales is difficult to overcome, said Larry Welch, director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Welch said at town hall meetings with farmers, talk quickly turns to thefts of anhydrous ammonia, the most widely used fertilizer in the state.

“They are amazed that more of these dummies don’t kill themselves,” Welch said.

The white-colored pressurized tanks containing anhydrous ammonia are a common sight in Kansas, storing fertilizer that farmers apply to their fields to raise the nitrogen levels of the soil.

But in recent years, the tanks have become the target of methamphetamine makers, according to farm groups and law enforcement officials.

Empty anhydrous ammonia tanks are lined up at the co-op on U.S. Highway 24 between Lawrence and Perry. Jessie Saulsberry, an employee of the co-op, said it no longer pre-fills tanks, but instead waits until orders are received in order to prevent thieves from stealing the liquid-gas fertilizer that is a key ingredient in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

The thieves drive up to the tank, either in a field or at a Co-op, open the tank’s valve, drain some of the anhydrous ammonia into a propane container or even a cooler or bucket and drive off.

The anhydrous ammonia is combined with commonly available cold medicines to produce methamphetamine, a powerful stimulant. The process takes about four hours.

The EPA has issued an alert stating that anhydrous ammonia thefts from tanks have become common, and thieves have also hit underground pipelines and rail cars transporting the chemical.

Meth labs on the rise

In Kansas, the manufacture of methamphetamines is increasing. Last year, law enforcement agencies busted 846 so-called meth labs, up from 711 in 2000.

Anhydrous ammonia is a volatile and hazardous chemical that can damage the environment and cause severe health problems, even death. When released in the atmosphere, it expands into a toxic gas.

“A lot of folks who are stealing anhydrous ammonia don’t respect it,” said Scott Teeselink, a former KBI senior special agent who is now a crime prevention specialist with the Kansas Farm Bureau.

“The thieves don’t need that much, and they often leave the valve open, which causes a monetary loss as well as producing a dangerous situation,” Teeselink said.

No statistics are kept on the theft of anhydrous ammonia from tanks, but anecdotal evidence of the problem is mounting in Kansas and all across the farming Midwest. Incidents of reported spills resulting from anhydrous ammonia thefts in Kansas grew from four to 10 between 2000 and 2001, according to state records.

In the Legislature, several bills are being considered related to the theft of anhydrous ammonia.

One bill that has passed the Senate would protect owners of anhydrous ammonia from lawsuits by unlawful tamperers who are injured during their crime.

But the Kansas Trial Lawyers Assn. says the proposal goes too far, making it next to impossible for innocent third parties injured by a spill from holding an owner accountable if the owner’s negligence contributed to the injury.

The association said that Kansas needs to adopt national standards to deter theft by making the tanks more secure with fencing and extra lighting.

Agriculture groups are opposed to increased regulations, saying that farmers are having a hard time enough as it is without additional rules. Teeselink said he spends a lot of his time educating farmers about the problem and how they can be more careful with their tanks.

New locks may help

Meanwhile, agribusinesses, such as Farmland Industries Inc., one of the leading fertilizer makers in the country, are continuing research and development to try and make the tanks more difficult to drain.

Michael Steinle of Lawrence, environmental manager for distribution systems at Farmland Industries, has developed a new locking device that could keep the thieves away.

“After I responded to a couple of ammonia releases in the Kansas City area that were due to attempted thefts, I saw this as being a fairly major problem,” Steinle said.

Essentially, the device is a box that fits over the tank’s valves. It is attached in a special way so that it cannot be pried off. It is locked and opened by a key.

“Nothing is foolproof. This is not cutting-torch proof, but it will slow them down enough, or maybe just make them decide to move on, kind of like the Club for cars,” he said.

The problem is that the device costs $89.

“The farm economy is problematic right now. If you have 3,000 nurse tanks in a co-op, that’s quite a bit of cash outflow. Without the farm economy turning around a little bit, it’s going to be a tough sell,” he said.