Meth lab cleanup

Thursday, January 22, 2009

SPRINGDALE, AR — Two methamphetamine labs were discovered in an apartment complex that prompted an evacuation and a potentially pricey cleanup, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

Tenants from the complex reported feeling ill in the few weeks the lab was in operation; one woman blames the seizure she recently suffered on the fumes from the lab, the story stated.

Tests will be performed on the units that functioned as labs as well as the units adjacent to them; cleanup will cost a minimum of $1,500, depending on the level of contamination, the story noted.

Carlette Anderson, executive director of Haz-Mert, a hazardous materials disposal company, said: "A lot of times we have meth that permeates the walls. We may have to clean three times to get a good level — it's a lot of work."

If tests show the presence of methamphetamine is above the state standard of 0.05 micrograms per hundred cubic centimeters, walls may have to be removed and parts of the complex rebuilt, the story added.