EPA drafts guidelines for meth lab clean up
The EPA is seeking counties’ feedback on a recently released draft of voluntary guidelines to clean up and remediate former methamphetamine lab sites.
Passed last year, the Methamphetamine Research and Remediation Act required EPA to develop model, health-based clean-up guidelines for states and localities with the goal of making sure former meth lab sites are safe and livable.
The guidelines start with a background on meth lab clean-up, followed by remediation standards and sequence, and techniques for clean-up. They also include an overview of item- and material-specific best practices. Appendices follow, with information on chemicals and Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry numbers, type of hazard, health effects, and fate and transport.
The act stipulates that a research program be created to update these guidelines periodically.
Meth lab clean-up is crucial for the safety of those moving into a house formerly used as a meth lab, and for the environment as well. Every pound of meth produced creates roughly six pounds of hazardous waste, which is often discarded into sewers and local streams. The labs are also a safety hazard, as the chemicals can permeate carpeting, walls and furniture with toxins, making the site uninhabitable.
EPA is soliciting comments by the end of October, before finalizing the draft guidelines. Contact Kati Guerra at kguerra@naco.org to request a copy of the guidelines.
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