Meth lab arrest stuns Shady Lane

HARDYSTON- Shady Lane is a tranquil residential street just off Wit's End Road, in Hardyston. Children ride bikes on the clean walkways and toss balls on spring-green grass outside neat condos and row houses. Multicolored pansies fill patio planters, and young mothers chat as they push rosy babies in strollers. Last week, a police raid of Sussex County's first known methamphetamine laboratory shattered the peace of this quiet street. In connection with the raid, police arrested Steven G. Wade, 51, a resident of the apartment building at 82 Shady Lane. Wade was charged with first-degree operation of a facility used for the manufacture of methamphetamine. Superior Court Judge N. Peter Conforti set the bail for Wade at $100,000. Hardyston Police Chief Keith A. Armstrong described the man as an unemployed Tennessean, who apparently had moved into the area at some time in 2004. For several months prior to Wade's arrest, police had been investigating questionable activities occurring in the vicinity of the apartment building. "We're shocked to find that such a thing was happening in Hardyston. However, we recognize that as our population grows, so does crime," remarked Hardyston Police Chief Keith A. Armstrong, who also said that he was happy about the success of the arrest, and relieved that no one was injured in the process. "We were able to take down the makeshift lab and get it out of the building and neighborhood. Labs of that kind can cause terrible explosions and fires, so they are doubly dangerous," Armstrong continued. Because the investigation into the scope of Wade's drug-manufacturing operations is still in progress, Armstrong could not supply additional details, which he said would be revealed in the course of the prosecution. Township Manager Marianne Smith said that she was saddened by of crime of this kind so close to home, but proud of the police for handling the arrest so well. "This episode shows why it is important to have a local police force working in the community n they know the people and the neighborhoods and are sensitive to things out of the ordinary," Smith observed. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that goes by a variety of street names, most commonly, "meth," "crank," "chalk," "go-fast," "zip," and "cristy." Amongst other potentially deadly effects, meth can damage a user's nervous system irreparably, and cause high blood pressure that can lead to cardiovascular collapse. Amphetamines have been around since a German chemist named L. Edeleano synthesized them in 1887. The world forgot about them for the next 40 years until Japanese scientist A. Ogata synthesized methamphetamine in 1919. The drugs were used to treat asthma and narcolepsy, a condition characterized by frequent, brief and uncontrollable bouts of deep sleep. During World War II and the Korean War, the U.S. Army experimented with giving some soldiers amphetamines and methamphetamines in the belief it might improve their performance. Soon, army doctors found that the drug had adverse effects on health and led to addiction that was difficult to treat. During the 1960s, use of the drug rose sharply, especially on the West Coast. In 1970, it became illegal to possess methamphetamine without a prescription. In 1996, U.S. Congress passed the Methamphetamine Control Act, which boosted criminal penalties for possessing, distributing and manufacturing the drug or possessing ingredients used in its manufacture. Meth is made from a volatile witches' brew of over-the-counter cold and asthma medications, red phosphorous, hydrochloric acid, drain cleaner, battery acid, lye, lantern fuel and antifreeze. The drug can damage the environment when meth "cooks" pour the residue down the drain. Each pound of meth manufactured leaves behind five to six pounds of toxic waste, much of which persists in the soil and ground water for years.