OFFICIALS ASK COUNTIES FOR PLANS TO CLEAN DRUG LABS

ST. PAUL -- The state Health Department is asking every county and Indian
reservation in Minnesota to develop local rules to clean illegal drug labs,
such as homes in which methamphetamine was produced.

"There are so many residences out there that have been cooked in but not
cleaned," said Deborah Durkin, an environmental scientist with the
Minnesota Health Department.

Minnesota authorities found 236 labs in Minnesota last year and 76 so far
this year, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.

Police and others make arrests and dismantle the labs, but they are not
responsible for the intensive cleaning of hazardous wastes left on walls,
ductwork and carpet. Few agencies also have the legal ability to require
lab cleanups on private property.

In the next several weeks, Durkin will ask for counties to develop their
own rules. Counties can act faster and respond to local concerns
effectively, she said.

Paul Stevens, a special agent with the state Bureau of Criminal
Apprehension who conducts narcotics training, said hazardous waste doesn't
just stay in a home where drugs were made. It gets dumped down sinks and
into yards.

"If people knew what was showing up in water, they'd be screaming," he
said. "These man-made chemicals do not break down."