BLUE EARTH - Authorities in Faribault County reportedly busted a new kind of methamphetamine lab this week.

At 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, the South Central Drug Task Force, Faribault County Sheriff's Office, Blue Earth Police Department and Winnebago Police Department arrested Rick Allen Rochefort, 48, of Blue Earth on a federal fugitive warrant.

The sheriff's office says the vehicle Rochefort was driving had a strong chemical odor coming from it, and an active meth lab was found inside. Also arrested was Teresa Ann Hinton, 40, of Elmore.

The alleged lab is a new form that's been sweeping the nation since spring. It incorporates a new cooking recipe called the "one-pot method."

"You take all the ingredients, you throw them in a jug and when it cooks off then you've got meth," explained Sheriff Mike Gormley.

The method is highly pressurized, leading to a significant risk of explosions. But because of how fast the drug can be manufactured, the method's popularity is growing.

"You've got the immediate danger of explosion and harm to the person that's doing it," Gormley said. "To bystanders, people in the car. There's hazardous waste being thrown out of the vehicles."

Gormley said that while both the standard open-cook method of making meth and one-pot are both dangerous, one-pot is more dangerous because of the pressurization.

"It's all dangerous, but now you're putting everything in one container and it's all pressurized," he said. "That's the whole kicker about meth, all these chemicals are dangerous and hazardous by themselves, and then you're throwing them all together besides."

Search warrants were executed at Rochefort's home at 1006 E. Fifth St., Blue Earth, as well as at 423 4th Ave. Northwest, Winnebago.

Chief Deputy Scott Adams said the unofficial weight of meth seized was nearly 40 grams.

Rochefort's arrest resulted from an extensive investigation that also included the Martin County Sheriff's Office and Farimont Police Department.

"We would like to thank the partnerships between all the pharmacies in Martin and Faribault County in this investigation," Gormley said. "They're monitoring purchases as well as we are and notifying us if there's a red flag."

Rochefort is being held on the fugitive warrant. Charges are pending.

Hinton is expected to be charged with first-degree manufacturing and intent to manufacture.

Two other people were arrested on Sept. 17 in the same investigation.

Richard Rochefort and Conrad Boynton were arrested in Fairmont for purchasing precursors to manufacture meth.