1 MILLION MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO CLEAN UP METH LAB MESSES

One million dollars allocated by the state Legislature will not be enough
to keep people safe from the aftermath of meth labs, the Law Enforcement
and Criminal Justice Committee determined Wednesday.

But it would be a start. Chemicals from illegal labs seep into carpets,
furniture, floors, paint and studs, causing cancer, skin rashes or nerve
damage. Currently, the state has no standards to determine if a home or
apartment has been properly cleaned, guidelines for when it is safe for
people to move back or consequences to landlords who do not report
suspected labs. "I don't worry about my own home, but I worry about the
place that my son is going to rent," Department of Public Safety Capt.
Kevin Youngberg told the legislative committee meeting at the Capitol.

Youngberg and Drug Enforcement Agency prosecutor Gary Heward suggested
modeling Utah's cleanup program on that of Washington, which has standards
for cleanup, checking the cleanup, training programs and certification of
private companies that clean up illegal labs.

In Washington, the only state that has such standards, local health
departments work with the Environmental Protection Agency to inspect sites,
post warning signs, locate owners, approve a cleanup plan and notify people
when buildings are declared safe.

In Utah, health officials only hang warning signs and board up places,
Heward said. The DEA removes illegal labs, but cleanup is the
responsibility of land owners, who may pay as much as $55 per square foot
of floor surface. Often, juveniles and transients move in before the
cleanup is completed. "In essence, what we're doing is making a playground
out of a contaminated site," he said.

The two experts told legislators that insurance companies may want to cover
meth labs as vandalism. Also, a $1 million revolving fund could be used for
low-interest loans for landlords to help with cleanup costs. Meth cooks
should be ordered to pay restitution and taxes should be levied on
chemicals used to make methamphetamine.

Youngberg added that money from the tobacco court settlement should be used
for meth cleanup problems.

"It is, in fact, one of the starter drugs leading to meth abuse," he said.