ALLEGAN — In the nation’s drug war, methamphetamine still is as much a problem as it was several years ago in West Michigan.

But some in law enforcement say the problem is getting less attention now — fewer meth labs being seized and dump sites found — for one simple reason.

The federal government in February cut millions of dollars in funding to help local authorities clean up labs and dispose of hazardous substances associated with making meth.

Lt. Mike Anderson, of the multi-jurisdictional West Michigan Enforcement Team, does not deny the decrease in seizures. WEMET, run through the state police, investigates illegal drug activity in Allegan, Ottawa and Muskegon counties.

“It’s kind of the elephant in the room,” he said. “No one has a budget to pay $1,000 or $1,500 to clean up every one of them. We are definitely seeing (police) aren’t digging as hard for cases as they did before.”

WEMET statistics for the first seven months of this year show officers handled 15 meth labs and 21 dump sites out of the agency’s Allegan office, compared with 19 meth labs and 34 dump sites for the same period in 2010.

“We are definitely trying to prioritize how we handle drug cases,” Anderson said. “Obviously, anything where kids might be in danger is going to get priority.”

Anderson said one reason for the decline between this year and 2010 is because of a decision this year not to go ahead with “meth initiatives,” summer programs that typically involve one-week or two-week periods of concentrated enforcement using additional outside personnel.

He also thinks there are less-intensive efforts to find meth components abandoned in ditches.

Anderson’s observations about meth enforcement do not necessarily carry over to other police agencies.

The Kent Area Narcotics Enforcement Team is handling as many meth cases as ever, although the numbers always have been less than in other counties, such as Van Buren and Allegan.

Sgt. Rick Coxon with the Kent County Sheriff’s Department, a member of KANET, said his group handles about eight to 10 meth labs each year. Funds for cleanup come through allocations from participating agencies — Walker, Grandville and the county.

“We have enough funds within our department to handle it,” he said.

Allegan County Sheriff Blaine Koops said his deputies and detectives are “still pursuing” meth cases as in the past, but he acknowledges funds for cleanup are an issue.

“These type of cleanup costs are not in our budget, and we don’t have the money,” he said. “I’ve lost 10 (staff) in the last two years, and it’s not going to get any better.”

Police officials such as Anderson and Koops hope the funding shortage is short-lived. In fact, they are pinning their hopes on a new effort to drastically shrink the cleanup costs associated with meth labs.

Agencies such as WEMET are training officers in cleanup procedures, a task always in the past left to contracted companies such as Drug & Laboratory Disposal, of Plainwell.

Beginning in October, officers will start packaging illegal lab waste and transfer it for disposal at authorized locations, such as Drug & Laboratory Disposal and other companies. Police will use a special trailer to haul the waste.

“The big issue before was the transportation costs and to have the professionals come out,” Koops said.

Anderson said the federal Drug Enforcement Agency plans to reimburse police agencies for packaging the waste under its so-called “container program,” which trains local officers to clean up meth sites and transfer the waste to centralized secure DEA containers.

E-mail John Tunison: jtunison@grpress.com