DENVER – The illegal production of methamphetamine is booming in Colorado and while police are busting those labs by the dozens, there’s a hidden threat left behind.
Cleaning Up Hazardous Chemicals at Former Meth Labs. Human health hazards can remain after the seizure of a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory.
What is methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine, an illegal substance also known as meth, speed,crank,crystal and is a potent synthetic drug that is a stimulant of the central nervous system. The effects of meth are similar to those of cocaine. It gives the user a rush or intense feeling of pleasure that lasts longer than cocaine. Meth is an increasingly popular drug that can be injected, snorted, taken orally, or smoked. Long-term use leads to physical dependence. Meth may give a person periods of high energy and rapid speech Many chronic meth users also experience severe depression, delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, and violent behavior, For this reason, you should never enter an active meth lab. Contact your local law enforcement immediately.
Meth is often made in makeshift laboratories, such as rented apartments or hotel rooms. During the production of meth, a property can become contaminated with hazardous chemicals, and there is a strong risk of fire or explosion.
What chemicals is meth made from?
There are many different chemical “recipes” for cooking meth. Each uses different ingredients. Many chemicals used in meth labs are also common in homes. However, the poor handling and disposal of these chemicals, as well as mixing incompatible compounds, can create hazards. Common household chemicals used in meth labs include flammable and volatile solvents such as methanol, ether, benzene, methylene chloride, trichloroethane, and toluene. Other common household chemicals include muriatic acid, sodium hydroxide, table salt, and ammonia.
Meth-related chemicals not commonly found in large amounts in homes include anhydrous ammonia, red phosphorous, iodine, and reactive metals. Other hazardous chemicals can be formed during the cooking process.
Many chemicals may contaminate a property after cooking meth. Carpeting, wallboard, ceiling tile, or fabric may absorb spilled or vaporized chemicals. Furniture or draperies may become contaminated. Outdoor disposal sites may also require evaluation and cleanup.
What happens after a meth lab is discovered?
When a meth lab is discovered, the local law enforcement agency and/or the Division of Criminal Investigations, is responsible for making arrests and seizing the lab. Evidence is removed from the site, and chemical hazard consultants are brought in by law enforcement to remove containers of hazardous chemicals related to the operation of the meth lab. Officials may also screen indoor air. Law enforcement may call child protective services if children are involved.
Once containers of chemicals and equipment related to the meth lab have been removed, the health department evaluates the property for long-term exposure risks from residual chemicals. Additionally, the Department of Natural Resources may assess environmental impacts from outdoor chemical spills or improper waste disposal.
Next steps for local health departments called in after a lab seizure. Before entering a former meth lab, call the local law enforcement agency to ask about: the amounts and types of chemicals used in the meth production; whether there was evidence of solvent use, chemical spills, or unusual odors; where the production was occurring; whether it was a low or high production lab*; and the general level of sanitation existing on the property.
Will exposure to chemicals in a meth lab result in harmful health effects?
Many of the chemicals used in the cooking process can be harmful. Short-term exposures to high concentrations of chemical vapors that may exist in a functioning meth lab can cause severe health problems or even death. For this reason, meth cookers, their families, and first responders are at highest risk of acute health effects from chemical exposure, including lung damage and chemical burns to different parts of the body. Heating solvents inside a building can create a highly flammable situation; meth labs are often discovered when fire fighters respond to a blaze.
After the police seize a meth lab, there is usually only a low exposure risk to chemical residues, but this contamination needs to be cleaned up. Also, properties often have serious sanitation and safety issues, such as physical and electrical hazards. Sanitation issues can complicate the assessment of chemical hazard risk. Any evaluation needs to consider the overall condition of the property. Residues of methamphetamine and other chemicals remaining at a former meth lab are a concern for people who later use the property. For this reason, local health departments should thoroughly assess the property for hazards prior to allowing it to be re-inhabited, especially if by children.
How can a meth lab be cleaned up?
There are currently no national regulations on exactly how to cleanup former meth labs and situations are different in each meth lab. The Department has worked with other national and state agencies to provide the following meth lab cleanup procedures that will protect the public and be practical for property owners.
Sometimes scrubbing and painting is all that is necessary to restore a former meth lab to a safe living environment. Sometimes, contamination is so broad and extensive that the inside of the building needs complete renovation. Across the U.S., the response to cleaning up former meth lab properties ranges from minor cleaning to complete demolition of buildings. Some meth labs require soil and/or groundwater cleanup as well, depending on the extent of how and where chemical wastes were managed.
Property owners are responsible for proper cleanup and costs. Owners who decide to clean buildings on their own should be aware that household building materials and furniture may absorb contaminants and, in some cases, give off fumes. Private cleanup contractors can be hired to conduct building cleanup as well.
Real estate agents are required by law to reveal any known defects including drug manufacturing residue. Agents are not required to discover all defects. In absence of strange smells and/or neighborhood rumors a real estate agent can’t be reasonable expected to know about drug manufacturing in the building. A well-educated buyer is the best protection for all.
If you are considering buying a pre-owned home and wish to check for the presence of meth. Consider having it checked. http://meth-wipe.com/
For general questions regarding meth lab cleanup, call the Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Divisions Customer Technical Assistance line at 303-692-3320 or toll-free at 1-888-569-1831 ext 3320.
Posted by: Jeffery McClintock
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