METH CLEANUP RULES DON'T COME WITH FUNDS

TULLAHOMA, Tenn. - Owners of property where agents raid methamphetamine
makers in Tennessee should expect new rules for cleanups of hazardous
residues but no state dollars to pay for the costs.

"There's not any type of funds out there that I'm aware of right now," said
Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens, chairman of Gov. Phil Bredesen's
Methamphetamine Task Force.

The state Department of Environment and Conservation has started working on
cleanup rules, said Rep. Charles Curtiss, D-Sparta, a task force member.

Starting those rules does not require additional legislation, Curtiss said.
A new state law, when enforced, will require that contaminated property
remain quarantined until a qualified industrial hygienist or other
contractor informs law enforcement that it's safe for people.

The task force is discussing how to respond to the state's methamphetamine
problem. The group is expected to meet Aug. 2 and Aug. 16 in Nashville
before making recommendations.

While Federal Drug Enforcement Administration records for 2003 show there
were 1,253 meth labs cleaned up in Tennessee, topping all states for the
third straight year, there is no standard for cleanups of the sites.

Curtiss said the federal government "has never set benchmarks about what is
acceptable" in cleanups of meth-contaminated property.

Curtiss said he was hopeful that high-tech detectors would soon become
available for property owners "to alert them when anything like this is
going on."