METH LABS CAN LEAVE EXPENSIVE AFTERMATH

SHIAWASSEE COUNTY - After police raid a methamphetamine lab, many
wheels begin turning.

Police begin to collect evidence and conduct interviews to build a
case against those operating the lab. Suspects hire lawyers, a number
of court dates are scheduled, and eventually the process potentially
climaxes with a jail sentence for the suspected parties.

However, often overlooked in the process is the actual site of the
lab.

The cooking of methamphetamine creates hazardous material
contamination, and any space that hosts one of these cook sites must
be decontaminated in order to be inhabited again.

According to the Michigan Department of Community Health's Cleanup of
Clandestine Drug Laboratory Guidance, the production of
methamphetamine can leave a number of possible contaminants including
corrosive chemicals such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, sodium
hydroxide, anhydrous ammonia or various other acid and bases; volatile
organic chemicals such as acetone, benzene, ether, Freon and methanol;
phosphorus, iodine, mercury, lead, and even remnants of the
methamphetamine drug itself.

Because of these chemicals, the health department is forced to step in
and condemn any residence that a cook site is found in.

According to Shiawassee County Health Department Director of
Environmental Health Larry Johnson, police have 48 hours to notify the
health department of any lab bust, and his department is than forced
to condemn the residence.

The condemnation includes an order to vacate the property, the
responsibilities of the property owner, and resources to help the
owner clean the site.

Once the property is condemned the long, and potentially costly,
process of cleaning the site begins for the owner.

According to Johnson, the property owner cannot sell, rent or occupy
the property until it is in compliance with state guidelines.

State law requires a preliminary assessment of the cook location be
conducted. The preliminary assessment, which is conducted by a third
party hired by the property owner, seeks to identify the extent of the
contamination.

Once the level of contamination is known, the homeowner can either
choose to hire a professional to begin the cleaning process, or
attempt to do it themselves.

Dana Rickers, owner of Jenison-based The Clean Source, a company
identified by the MDCH as a methamphetamine lab cleanup company, said
although the cleanup process can be costly, it could be even more
costly if the property owner attempts to go it alone.

Before condemnation is removed from the property, the newly cleaned
cook site must be tested to ensure it meets state standards, a process
that can add up in cost if the home does not pass its initial test.

"It will cost more money in the long run," said Rickers of homeowners
who try to decontaminate their own property. "Testing is expensive."

"Most homeowners can't pass the test," she continued.

In order to be accepted by the state, test results must show less than
0.5 micrograms of methamphetamine per 100 square centimeters, less
than 40 micrograms of lead per square foot, and less than 1 microgram
of mercury per cubic meter, results Rickers said sometimes takes the
professionals at her company weeks to achieve.

The Clean Up Process

The cleanup of an area contaminated by a methamphetamine lab is a
long, intricate process. First, before the preliminary assessment
begins, the state recommends the contaminated area be ventilated by
using exhaust fans or opening doors and windows to remove any
potential volatile organic chemicals from the air.

Once the preliminary assessment is complete, a cleanup plan can be
formulated, and the extensive cleaning process can begin.

Rickers said her crews use a number of detergents, many of which
contain sodium peroxide, to clean the sites. She also said her crews
power wash the interior of the home and use scrubbing brushes.

"It's just very involved," Rickers said.

Everything inside of the lab area is assumed to be contaminated,
according to the state, and therefore everything must be cleaned or
disposed of.

According to State guidelines, any clothing, rugs, curtains, washable
cloth items or washable shoes can be decontaminated by double washing
with detergent on the warm or hot cycle in any washing machine.

Clothing items that cannot be washed, such as leather, shoes, woolen,
or dry clean only materials, cannot be decontaminated and must be
disposed of.

Children's toys such as stuffed animals, any toy that might come in
contact with the child's mouth, or any stained or etched toy cannot be
decontaminated and should be disposed of. Metal toys such as bicycles
or wagons can be cleaned with detergent and warm water.

Any upholstered fabric or leather furniture or mattress cannot be
decontaminated and must be removed.

All carpeting and large rugs must be removed.

In the kitchen, silverware, dishes or cooking instruments can be
cleaned. However, any wooden or porous object that comes in contact
with food or objects such as a child's bottle must be disposed of.

Household appliances such as refrigerators and stoves can be cleaned.
However, electronic equipment such as televisions and stereos cannot
be decontaminated from the chemicals that seeped into the unsealed
casing and must be disposed of.

Any paper items, photographs, books, or magazines cannot be
decontaminated and must be disposed of. However, the state does allow
an exception for family memorabilia, legal documents or documents and
books of historical value to be saved.

The cleanup process could also lead to extensive deconstruction to the
interior of the property.

Ceiling tiles cannot be cleaned so they must be removed.

Painted walls, floors or woodwork can be double washed and saved.
However, Rickers said it is highly unlikely that unpainted drywall
could be decontaminated and is usually removed.

Nonporous kitchen countertops can be cleaned, but usually wooden
kitchen counters or food preparation areas must be removed. Rickers
said wooden kitchen cabinets could also have to be removed if the
contamination is extensive.

Professional cleaning of the site's ventilation system is also
required.

Rickers said she usually examines the site's ventilation system to
identify if any other areas could be contaminated, a process
especially important in rental units that could share heating or air
conditioning.

She also said it is not unusual to have to remove the entire
ventilation system and furnace to ensure decontamination.

The site's plumbing and sewage system must also be inspected to
determine if a large amount of chemicals associated with the cook site
had been disposed.

"We do some major, major deconstruction," said Rickers, noting the
site is often barren by the time her work is complete.

Large Price Tag

It's this extensive deconstruction that can also cause cleanup prices
for the site owner to sky rocket.

Rickers said it is not unusual for property owners to have to weigh
the price of cleanup against the value of the property when
determining how to approach the situation.

"People will pay $35,000 (to clean up) a house, but not for a rental,"
Rickers said.

She also said 99 percent of property owners don't have the appropriate
insurance to cover the cost of cleanup.

According to Rickers, methamphetamine is considered a pollutant and
insurance companies usually require homeowners to have pollution
liability insurance for the insurance company to cover the cost to
clean the property.

However, Rickers said she usually tries to help the property owners by
identifying cleanup tasks the owners could complete on their own, such
as the removal of items that must be disposed of.

Dorothy Stewart knows the extent of these costs first
hand.

Stewart and her husband of 63 years, Ken, own the Stewart building at
the corner of M-71 and Shiawassee Street in Corunna. Police discovered
a methamphetamine lab in one of the six upstairs apartments last year.

Luckily, the contamination was contained to only one apartment, so the
Stewarts were forced to clean just the one unit.

"It was a big pain," said Stewart, who was eventually forced to pay
more than $5,000 out of pocket to clean up the property.

However, for the couple, who are both in their 80s, the cleanup could
have been much more expensive if not for help they received from their
family. Stewart said her son-in-law helped with the cleanup process by
removing items from the apartment and scrubbing the ceiling. Stewart
said he had to clean the ceiling three times.

"It was a huge pain at the time," said Stewart, who also mentioned the
cleanup process took nearly four weeks to complete. "It was really a
pain in the neck," Stewart said.

However, now that the property has been cleaned, Stewart said she and
her husband have been able to continue to rent out the effected
apartment once again.

"Thankfully, they're all occupied," Stewart said of the building's six
apartments.