Cleaning Up Former Methamphetamine Labs

Oklahoma declared war on meth in 2004 with a law aimed at shutting down meth labs.<br/>But the state is far behind when it comes to protecting people from toxins left behind by a meth lab. News On 6 anchor

Monday, May 7th 2007, 10:00 pm

By: News On 6

Oklahoma declared war on meth in 2004 with a law aimed at shutting down meth labs.
But the state is far behind when it comes to protecting people from toxins left behind by a meth lab. News On 6 anchor Omar Villafranca reports Oklahoma's current meth laws endanger thousands of renters, and they might not know it.

In homes that were meth labs toxic methamphetamine residue coats every inch of the house.

"These properties are very dirty, and children are climbing around on the floor, its in heating and air units, it's on the walls and it can be cleaned," Bill Coye with Apex BioClean said.

Anyone who goes inside a former meth house has to protect themselves from head to toe. That's because exposure to the chemicals used to cook meth can irritate the skin and lungs, damage the liver, the spleen, kidneys, and the brain. Long term exposure can cause cancer.

The cleaning process to clear a home of meth residue takes hours and starts by gutting the house. Then BioClean employees drench the walls, the doors, everything inside with industrial strength detergents. A high-pressure sprayer rinses the chemicals off and a vacuum sucks up the contaminated water.

"One room you saw, we cleaned three times. You have to take one end of the building to the other. It's a lot of work," Coye said.

When BioClean is finished cleaning the house the owner of the home will rent it out. In Oklahoma, there are no standards for cleaning a meth house, and legally landlords do not have to tell a renter that there was a meth lab in the home. Colorado is the only nearby state with a law on cleaning standards. So why has Oklahoma fallen behind?

"I really don't have an answer to that," said Oklahoma Senator Roger Ballenger. "I just really don't have a good feel for why. I know the legislature in the state of Oklahoma has been good at being aggressive on enforcement and getting rid of these labs, and it might just be that the thought process has not arrive there quite yet.

Money may be the reason.

"Landlords who are stuck with $20,000 or $30,000 in remediation costs, again that's not something where they can just go back to the state and recoup those costs," Mike Woodward with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics said.

"It would be millions and millions of dollars, but I think the financial responsibility may always fall back on the landowner," said Ballenger.

Bill Coye says there needs to be a cleaning standard before unsuspecting people get sick.

"I have seen a lot of bad places, and I think the thing that's the hardest is seeing the toys and the little things that the children leave around on these properties," he said.

As of this legislative session, there are no bills in the state House or Senate to set a minimum cleaning standard for former meth houses. There's also not one bill requiring a landlord to tell a renter a property was a meth lab.

It's too late for this session because the time to introduce bills has passed. We did speak to state Senator Roger Ballenger. He co-chairs the public safety and Homeland Security committee, and he said he plans to do something about the lack of laws next session.

Watch the video:

WEB EXTRA: Cleaning A Meth Lab

WEB EXTRA: Extended Interview With Bill Coye Of Apex BioClean

WEB EXTRA: Extended Interview With Senator Roger Ballenger

WEB EXTRA: Extended Interview With Mike Woodward Of The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics

Renters Endangered By Lack Of Meth Law

Holes In Oklahoma Meth Laws

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2/27/2007 Loopholes In Oklahomaâ€™s Meth Law

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