Pubdate: Tue, 25 Dec 2007 Source: Record, The (Stockton, CA) Copyright: 2007 The Record Contact: http://www.recordnet.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/428 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?208 (Environmental Issues) BUSH SIGNS MCNERNEY'S METH TOXINS CLEANUP BILL SACRAMENTO - President Bush has signed into law a bill co-sponsored by Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, to help clean up methamphetamine labs and the toxic mess they leave behind. Bush signed HR365 late last week. The proposal requires the Environmental Protection Agency to set guidelines for federal aid to state and local authorities charged with cleaning up former meth lab sites. "Meth use is a critical problem for so many parts of the country, including the Central Valley," McNerney said. "Frequently, meth labs are located in residential neighborhoods. Innocent people could be put at undue risk from the toxic residue that remains after meth production in that home or hotel room is abandoned." The legislation also aids in the development of field test kits for meth that law enforcement can use to locate meth labs and identify any toxins around them; police officers have been overcome by the fumes from old meth labs in the past. The Drug Enforcement Administration reports that more than 350 California meth labs were seized in 2006, many in the Central Valley and the Mother Lode. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom