Pubdate: Sun, 13 Jul 2008 Source: Cuyahoga Falls News-Press (OH) Copyright: 2008 Record Publishing Co, LLC Contact: http://www.fallsnewspress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4791 Author: Ellin Walsh Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) REVISED METH LAB LEGISLATION CONSIDERED BY FALLS COUNCIL CUYAHOGA FALLS -- Taxpayers and landlords would share the financial burden of cleaning up former meth labs in the city, according to a revised version of a proposed ordinance considered by City Council July 7. After hearing concerns from several landlords and Councilmembers, Council's public affairs committee deleted language in the proposal requiring property owners of former clandestine drug lab sites to pay for cleanup and police administrative costs. By requiring the property owners to assume the expense, Fatima Rita, owner of an apartment building on Fourth Street, said, "You're making us responsible for behavior we don't want." While the committee agreed to remove that requirement from the proposal, the city's deputy law director, Hope Jones, was adamant about keeping language necessitating property owners fully disclose the property's past about being a former meth lab site for perpetuity. And while the bulk of the cleanup costs would be shifted to the city, landlords would still have to shell out a share as well. In its present form, taxpayers would pay for the "public costs," including law enforcement seizure of the labs and chemicals; disposal costs of the chemicals; and administrative costs associated with the clean-up of residual contamination. Landlords would be required to pay cleanup costs incurred after police have cleared out the lab and the city has ordered the site cleaned. Those costs would include removing carpeting and other textiles exposed to the meth cooking process as well as costs to decontaminate HVAC, plumbing, wall and counters. Marc Onesta, founder and president of Bio Clean Services of Hudson, told Council's public affairs committee July 7 that costs for a typical home range from $5,000 to $10,000. In certain states, Onesta said, the property is recorded as being contaminated with meth until the cleanup has been completed and post-clean up tests indicate it is at the acceptable level. Then the property is then removed from the records, Onesta said. Councilmembers Carol Klinger (R-At large) and Diana Colavecchio (D-5) expressed concern about incorporating an endless notification requirement in the city's proposal. "You can severely diminish the value of a home if, into perpetuity, you have to notify the people even if it's been remediated and the hazard is gone," Klinger said. But Jones said she disagreed there is proof the hazard is totally gone, saying she preferred notification continue into perpetuity. "I would want to know," Jones said. Councilmember Kathy Hummel asked Community Development Director Sue Truby to consider allocating some Community Development Block Grant funds for the cleanup of meth houses in 2009. Truby endorsed the idea. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin