DRUG DENS SHUTTERED

Citing Danger, Pascagoula Official Condemns Homes Housing Meth Labs

Paying The Price

PASCAGOULA - Rental property owners in Pascagoula are paying the cost to
clean up methamphetamine labs, even though their tenants were responsible
for the damage. The property owners are expected to pay thousands of
dollars to test the properties for possible chemical contamination and then
clean it up, though they had no knowledge of the labs that operated on
their properties.

Stephen Mitchell, Pascagoula's chief building official, is encouraging
landlords to take added precautions to ensure that their tenants are not
contaminating their properties. He offered the following tips:

. Interview prospective renters in person.

. Perform an extensive background check on the applicants and check their
references thoroughly.

. Advise potential tenants of what can and cannot be stored on the property.

. If a painter or someone who works with chemicals moves to a property, for
example, inform the person of what they can and cannot store at the
property. . Make it a habit to inspect the property routinely.

Stephen Mitchell, the city's chief building official, is breaking new
ground in the state by condemning homes and structures where
methamphetamines are made. He's doing so because the chemicals used to make
meth are toxic, explosive and pose a serious health risk to any future
occupant.

Since September, Mitchell has condemned a mobile home on Orchard Road, an
apartment on Sarrazin Street, a garage outside a home on Spruce Street and,
most recently, a home in the heart of the city on Polk Avenue.

"Before, we didn't do this," Mitchell said. "It's actually something new
(that some states are using.)"

He said he's able to condemn such properties because they are deemed unfit
for human habitation based on violations in the International Property
Maintenance Code.

Specifically, Mitchell points to a portion of the code that says a
structure could be condemned if, for example, it is determined that "the
structure constitutes a hazard to the occupants or to the public."

The code book goes on to say a structure may be condemned "when there is
actual or potential danger to the building occupants or those in the
proximity of any structure because of explosives, explosive fumes or vapors
or the presence of toxic fumes, gases or materials."

Property owners are required to pay the cleanup bill, even if they ran a
rental operation.

National drug experts have determined that the chemicals used to cook meth,
such as anhydrous ammonia and sodium ammonia nitrate, are not only
dangerous but also potentially life threatening upon exposure. In some
case, explosions have occurred during the cooking process.

Earl Etheridge, with the state Department of Environmental Quality, said
Mitchell could be the first in the state to start condemning such properties.

Mitchell said he's trying to do what officials in other states, namely
Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, Washington and Wisconsin, are doing.

In Washington state, for example, the Health Department maintains a list of
homes once used as meth labs. The state has additional listings on its
government Web site.

Nothing like that exists here.

Mitchell says he's doing what he can to protect people. He said he's also
keeping a list of all the properties in the city that have been condemned
as a result of methamphetamines.

"It's a problem," Mitchell said. "This is our next moonshine, I guess. I
have to give credit to law enforcement. Without them advising us of where
these structures are located, I couldn't do my job."

Property owners must pay

Leslie Trehern and David Hamilton were outside their homes on Polk Avenue
the afternoon of March 12 when a swarm of law enforcement officials raced
down their street on their way to a suspected methamphetamine lab.

Neither man, who are next door neighbors, knew what to think, they said.
They assumed someone was about to be arrested.

But that didn't happen.

The two men soon learned that local, state and federal officials had just
searched a rental property down the street. Inside the sprawling two-story
home, officials found two makeshift meth labs. The suspects were gone.

Neighbors saw officials seizing from the rental property various hazardous
chemicals and equipment used to manufacture meth.

Later, other neighbors saw hazardous material teams cleaning up the
property. Louis Miller, director of the Narcotics Task Force of Jackson
County, said warrants have since been issued for the arrests of the
suspects, identified as Alfred "Allen" Huggins, and his wife, Penni
Huggins, both in their late 40s and currently on the run.

The couple rented the home and lived there for several months with their
two children, who attended nearby schools. The property is within a half
mile of Pascagoula High School, Trent Lott Middle School and Central
Elementary School.

Jay Jay Garriga leased the property to the couple after checking their
background. "Their references were fine," he said.

'We had no idea'

Garriga, like the owners of three other condemned properties in the city,
knew nothing about the meth being cooked on his property. But now, like the
other owners, Garriga is faced with paying the costs to clean up the
property suspected of possible contamination.

"This strictly is a rental property," Garriga said. "We had no idea. We
have like 36 rentals in town already. I just want everybody to know that I
had nothing to do with it, and I wasn't involved in it at all. We're going
to do everything we can to work with the city to clean it up so it is
livable again."

Garriga already has contacted an industrial hygienist to get the property
properly tested for possible contaminants. The cleanup costs could be in
the thousands. Mitchell said the homeowners ultimately are responsible for
any cleanup costs associated with meth labs just as they pay the price when
renters trash their property.

"They are responsible for their property even if they didn't know," he said.

"They stand to take a substantial monetary loss. It's unfortunate, but it's
a documented health risk and it is part of my job to look out for the
health, safety and welfare of the general public. We do this to buildings
in danger of collapse. Why can't we do it in buildings contaminated with
hazardous materials?"

Some face demolition

At the Polk Avenue home, Mitchell said various samples would be required to
determine, for example, if there is contamination in the air conditioning
system, the water, the ground, carpet and other areas, including the attic
where Mitchell said the chemicals contaminated the home's insulation.

He could not say how long the testing would take but said he felt the
property and the home could be saved through extensive cleanup efforts.

The condemned garage on Spruce Street, however, is facing demolition.

Mitchell said he and property owners Darwin and Alicia Scoville have agreed
to allow the city to demolish the garage because of the costly cleanup
requirements. The Scovilles could not be reached to comment.

But, Mitchell said, "the owner has pretty much agreed that (demolition) is
what needs to happen and has agreed to sign a consent for the city to
demolish it." The couple will pay for that expense.

The Sarrazin Street apartment ended up having no real problems, was cleaned
and is ready for occupancy.

As for the unit at Orchard Road Trailer Park, Mitchell said he's been
unable to reach the owner since an initial meeting. He said he hopes to
talk to the park owner soon to see if the mobile home can be moved.

"Based on the cost of cleanup, a dump is probably the best place it (the
mobile home) could go," Mitchell said.

Whatever happens, Mitchell said, he hopes rental property owners realize
that what he's doing is necessary for safety.

He also pointed out that the same property owners who are paying cleanup
costs now could face even more liability if something wasn't done and a
future tenant ends up with a serious medical condition resulting from
exposure to the hazardous chemicals.

Kay Johnson, city manager in Pascagoula, supports Mitchell's work.

"Sometimes Mississippi needs to break new ground," Johnson said. "He feels
real strongly that the chemicals are dangerous. His interest is in the
health, safety and welfare of our citizens. No matter what the reason he
condemns a building, that's his purpose."

Signs of methamphetamines

Law enforcement officials have identified the following chemicals,
equipment and other signs of the manufacture of methamphetamines:

. Cold tablets with ephedrine or pseudoephedrine.

. Empty pill blister packs.

. Rock or table salt.

. Strong odors of paint, ether, ammonia, alcohol or acetone.

. Lithium batteries.

. Sulfuric, muriatic and phosphoric acids.

. Sodium hydroxide/lye.

. Concealed windows.

. Glass cookware.

. Yellow residue on clothing or skin caused by iodine contamination.

. Solvents, such as acetone, alcohol or paint thinner.

. Iodine.

. Red phosphorous.

. Anhydrous ammonia (usually in 5-gallon tanks.)

. Camp stove fuel.

. Hydrogen peroxide.

. Plastic or rubber tubing.

. Red-stained coffee filters.

. Hot plates or other portable cooking devices.

. Non-opaque bags, such as cat litter bags with duct tape around them when
they are being discarded.