Pubdate: Sun, 30 Sep 2012
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Times Colonist
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html
Website: http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Bill Cleverley

TRACKING OF GROW-OP HOUSES SOUGHT

B.C. needs to track and record houses used as marijuana-growing 
operations and set standards for remediation, municipal leaders were 
told last week.

If potential homebuyers discover that a house has been used as a 
grow-op, they are often told the house has been remediated, Kevin 
Neufeld, director of the B.C. Real Estate Association, told a Union 
of B.C. Municipalities forum in Victoria.

"But what does remediated mean? There's no standard in the Fraser 
Valley and I'm sure there's no standard in B.C.," he said.

"It can mean everything from totally brought back to code with air 
sample reports provided, to as little as 'let's shampoo the carpets 
and paint the walls.' "

Existing searchable data is piecemeal and inconsistent, Clare said.

Several years ago, the B.C. Real Estate Association amended its 
standard property disclosure statement to require sellers to tell 
buyers if they were aware that their property had been used as a 
growing operation or for the manufacture of illegal drugs.

But it's not a stretch to assume that someone willing to ignore laws 
on growing marijuana might also be willing to lie, Neufeld said.

"The solution has to be a provincial process for remediation that 
will create a level of confidence that when it's done and disclosed 
as being remediated, families will know it's a safe house to move 
into, banks will know it's a safe house to loan money against, and 
insurance companies will know it's a safe house to insure," he said.

In 2010, there were an estimated 13,500 active grow-ops in B.C., said 
Joe Clare, Surrey strategic planning analyst.

Only about one-third of the operations come to the attention of the 
police, primarily through tips.

It doesn't matter whether a grow-op is licensed or not, Clare said. 
Drug operations can leave homes with significant electrical and 
structural problems; issues with mould and problems with insurability.

Clare said a standardized remediation process would see 
municipalities issue a do-not-occupy order when a grow-op is 
discovered. They would then outline standardized steps for the 
property owner to undertake before the property can be occupied again.

That would mean hiring a certified environmental consultant to 
determine the scope of the work and monitor the remediation process. 
Certified contractors would be required to get permits and the 
consultant would have to sign off when the work is completed. A 
permanent record would then be attached to the property.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom