CONTAMINATION RISK LINGERS AFTER METH-LAB SHUTDOWN

When the police shut down a methamphetamine lab, both state and local
authorities admit they've addressed only the present danger of a cook.

Left behind are the future dangers of meth manufacture, which could
contaminate the building in which the illegal drug is being made.

Meth manufacture poses a variety of environmental contamination
risks, according to the Koch Crime Institute Web site.

Although that kind of contamination is rare in Kansas, officials say,
it's not unheard of and its frequency could be growing.

"Right now, the larger labs that produce that kind of problem exist
on the West Coast and along the southwest border," said Kirk
Thompson, assistant director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

"It's very tough for us to project into the future. Certainly, the
conditions here with the interstates would be conducive to
organizations operating those big labs. So far, we've been successful
in keeping that kind of a situation out. But I can't say what the
future holds for us."

Typically, after police discover a lab the bulk of any related debris
is removed.

However, a small amount of contamination can be left on surfaces and
in absorbent materials like carpets and furniture - enough to pose
health risks to anyone occupying the home, motel room or similar
structure when the cook took place.

The chance of that kind of contamination often depends on the size of
the lab and the expertise of the cook, said Detective Howard Shipley
of the Reno County Drug Task Force.

"The main things you're going to face are the chemical vapors the
cook produces, or some sort of a chemical spill contaminating
carpet," Shipley said.

Those chemicals include benzene, methylene chloride, trichloroethane
and toluene, according to the Missouri Department of Health. It is
suspected that meth-related chemicals include solvents, phosphorus,
iodine and metals.

Many of those contaminants can create a variety of health problems,
including respiratory trouble, skin and eye irritation, headaches,
nausea and dizziness.

According to the Koch Crime Institute, acute exposure to high
concentrations of those chemicals - a danger to police first on the
scene of a meth lab - can cause severe problems, including lung
damage and burns.

Such cases are rare in Kansas, Thompson said.

"We really haven't seen the more volatile methods of manufacturing
meth," he said. "The vast majority of what we encounter doesn't
require intervention at the site."

But when intervention is required, a two-man team from the Kansas
Department of Health and Environment can be called.

Beyond that, though, there are no notification requirements for past
meth-lab use in Kansas for either homes or motels.

"They'll do things like remove a layer of soil surrounding a
residence due to byproducts being dumped around the grounds," Shipley
said.

But gutting a room or residence is rare, he said.

"We've never actually done that," he said. "But I do recall a room in
South Hutchinson six or eight months ago that was just a pig sty.
Lots of empty containers, left-over crap. Lots of cooks at the
location. We had to bring the state in to get rid of the waste."

Several states have taken steps to handle complicated cleanups. The
state of Washington requires property owners to make sure there are
no more than five micrograms of meth residue per square foot of a
house.

In Oregon, the level is 0.5 micrograms. Steps also are taken there to
warn prospective buyers or tenants about contaminated residences. It
puts drug labs on a special list, and information about hazards is
added to the property title.

Colorado is considering a bill that could require both notification
and removal of contaminated furnishings.

"Personally, that's something I think about every time I rent a motel
room," Shipley said. "Has there been a lab in there? Maybe it is best
that motels do tell you."

But holding property owners financially responsible for what goes on
in their homes and motel rooms strikes Shipley as strict.

"I don't know about that," he said. "People will be driven out of
business. The motel people and landlords are a powerful lobby. I kind
of doubt if anything major like that can be enacted."