Methamphetamine not only affects the people involved with it but it also affects and contaminates the environment where it is cooked.
The manufacturing process, although simple, is toxic. Each kilogram of crystal meth produces 5 to 7 kilograms of chemical waste, which is often dumped down the drain or in the backyard. Another by-product — toxic gas — can lead to fire or explosions in the lab.
“Meth labs are inherently dangerous because of the chemicals,” said Andy Hunter, an investigator with the Calhoun/Cleburne County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
As well as the gases, which are dangerous to breathe in, many of the chemicals can cause burns or poisoning when they come into contact with skin, Hunter said.
Because of this, meth labs are considered hazardous-waste sites and should only be entered by trained and equipped emergency-response professionals. A house that contained a crystal-meth lab needs to be decontaminated and can remain uninhabitable for months.
Hunter and his team don non-porous Tyvek suits and respirators when entering a known meth lab.
He said if citizens suspect a dwelling or property may be an illegal lab, then they need to contact the local police or sheriff’s department. Citizens should not enter a site that may be a meth lab. Along with the chemical dangers, many meth cookers set booby traps or bombs to protect their lab. Hunter said he has seen a simple 2-liter bottle used to make a bomb.
It can cost from $30,000 to $70,000 to clean up one meth lab, he said. (TAB)
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