Pubdate: Sun,  3 Mar 2002
Source: Hutchinson News, The (KS)
Copyright: 2002 The Hutchinson News
Contact:  http://www.hutchnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1551
Author: Bill Wilson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

CONTAMINATION RISK LINGERS AFTER METH-LAB SHUTDOWN

When the police shut down a methamphetamine lab, both state and local 
authorities admit they've addressed only the present danger of a cook.

Left behind are the future dangers of meth manufacture, which could 
contaminate the building in which the illegal drug is being made.

Meth manufacture poses a variety of environmental contamination 
risks, according to the Koch Crime Institute Web site.

Although that kind of contamination is rare in Kansas, officials say, 
it's not unheard of and its frequency could be growing.

"Right now, the larger labs that produce that kind of problem exist 
on the West Coast and along the southwest border," said Kirk 
Thompson, assistant director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

"It's very tough for us to project into the future. Certainly, the 
conditions here with the interstates would be conducive to 
organizations operating those big labs. So far, we've been successful 
in keeping that kind of a situation out. But I can't say what the 
future holds for us."

Typically, after police discover a lab the bulk of any related debris 
is removed.

However, a small amount of contamination can be left on surfaces and 
in absorbent materials like carpets and furniture - enough to pose 
health risks to anyone occupying the home, motel room or similar 
structure when the cook took place.

The chance of that kind of contamination often depends on the size of 
the lab and the expertise of the cook, said Detective Howard Shipley 
of the Reno County Drug Task Force.

"The main things you're going to face are the chemical vapors the 
cook produces, or some sort of a chemical spill contaminating 
carpet," Shipley said.

Those chemicals include benzene, methylene chloride, trichloroethane 
and toluene, according to the Missouri Department of Health. It is 
suspected that meth-related chemicals include solvents, phosphorus, 
iodine and metals.

Many of those contaminants can create a variety of health problems, 
including respiratory trouble, skin and eye irritation, headaches, 
nausea and dizziness.

According to the Koch Crime Institute, acute exposure to high 
concentrations of those chemicals - a danger to police first on the 
scene of a meth lab - can cause severe problems, including lung 
damage and burns.

Such cases are rare in Kansas, Thompson said.

"We really haven't seen the more volatile methods of manufacturing 
meth," he said. "The vast majority of what we encounter doesn't 
require intervention at the site."

But when intervention is required, a two-man team from the Kansas 
Department of Health and Environment can be called.

Beyond that, though, there are no notification requirements for past 
meth-lab use in Kansas for either homes or motels.

"They'll do things like remove a layer of soil surrounding a 
residence due to byproducts being dumped around the grounds," Shipley 
said.

But gutting a room or residence is rare, he said.

"We've never actually done that," he said. "But I do recall a room in 
South Hutchinson six or eight months ago that was just a pig sty. 
Lots of empty containers, left-over crap. Lots of cooks at the 
location. We had to bring the state in to get rid of the waste."

Several states have taken steps to handle complicated cleanups. The 
state of Washington requires property owners to make sure there are 
no more than five micrograms of meth residue per square foot of a 
house.

In Oregon, the level is 0.5 micrograms. Steps also are taken there to 
warn prospective buyers or tenants about contaminated residences. It 
puts drug labs on a special list, and information about hazards is 
added to the property title.

Colorado is considering a bill that could require both notification 
and removal of contaminated furnishings.

"Personally, that's something I think about every time I rent a motel 
room," Shipley said. "Has there been a lab in there? Maybe it is best 
that motels do tell you."

But holding property owners financially responsible for what goes on 
in their homes and motel rooms strikes Shipley as strict.

"I don't know about that," he said. "People will be driven out of 
business. The motel people and landlords are a powerful lobby. I kind 
of doubt if anything major like that can be enacted."
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