POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Butler County Sheriff's Department recently was recognized for being in the top counties for methamphetamine lab seizures for 2009 in the Missouri Sheriff's Meth-Amphetamine Relief Team program, the Daily American Republic newspaper reported.

"We've excelled to one of the top six counties in Missouri for meth labs seized and lab trash cleanup," explained Sheriff Mark Dobbs. The department received a similar award in 2007 when it ranked in the top five.

The sheriff's department had 39 reports of labs in 2009, said narcotics investigator Wesley Popp, who has been the department's MoSMART officer since March 2009.

"Thirty-seven of them were actual labs and two of them were abandoned lab sites," he said.

In 2007, 17 methamphetamine laboratories were seized, as well as 14 incidents involving the seizure of chemicals/glassware/equipment and eight lab dumpsites.

Both Popp and Dobbs said the popularity of the one-pot manufacturing method is what had caused an increase in the lab numbers.

"It's just an easy drug to make, especially with the one-pot; it cuts their time in half," Popp said. Instead of a batch of meth taking two and one-half hours to make, he said, "now, with the onepot, it's 45 minutes, and it's mobile.

"They can take it anywhere ... in the car driving, under a bridge, and of course, in their homes. With it being mobile, it's a lot harder to detect."

Two of the lab seizures, Popp said, were the result of pursuits "with an actual lab" in the vehicle.

Despite Poplar Bluff recently approving a city ordinance restricting the purchase of pseudoephedrine products to prescription only, "there's always a way," Popp said. "They're going to Corning, Ark., to Walmart and traveling as far as St. Louis.

"They're paying people to make a big loop to bring it. They get an average 1 gram a box for $75 to $100 cash. It's cut into the profits, but unfortunately, we haven't stopped them. As long as it is easy to make, it is always going to be a problem."

The one-pot method, also known as the shake-and-bake method, leaves behind trash, Dobbs said.

"You have to clean the lab trash up; it has a lot of volatile chemicals in it and health hazards associated with it," Dobbs said.

Once again, Missouri ranked No. 1 in the nation with 1,774 lab incidents for 2009.

"There is a misconception with the whole state of Missouri with regard to it having one of the higher methamphetamine problems in the nation when in fact Missouri does a better job of enforcement, and the only means of gathering statistics is through enforcement," Dobbs said. "Thus, the better job you do at enforcement, the more it appears you have a larger meth problem."

Dobbs believes the surrounding counties have a greater meth problem, but lack the enforcement, which "skews the results and the numbers. If you don't have nobody out there busting the labs, it looks like you're fine."

The MoSMART program, which included 24 agencies, lost its funding this year, "so we've kind of had to absorb that within our budget to keep it going," Dobbs said.

Since funding has been re-established for 2011, "hopefully, with our success and our statistics being favorable as far as enforcement, we shouldn't have a problem reacquiring funding next year," Dobbs said.