Meth lab cleanup laws scrutinized

INDIANAPOLIS — A two-year-old Indiana law that requires property owners to cover the costs of a methamphetamine lab cleanup is being scrutinized as the epidemic becomes widespread, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The average cleanup cost for a methamphetamine lab in Indiana ranges anywhere from $5,000 to $35,000 depending on the length of time the lab was functioning and the level of contamination, the story stated.

Indiana State Police and other local and federal agencies uncovered 1,092 labs in the state in 2008, a 31 percent increase from 2007.

The fumes from the toxic chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine soak into virtually every porous surface, including carpet, drywall, upholstery and ceiling tile, and then are gassed off over time, leading to nausea, headaches, malaise and even memory loss, the story noted.

The law that took effect in March 2007 sets stringent standards for cleanup and says properties where methamphetamine was manufactured, or "cooked," cannot be sold, rented or occupied until they are deemed safe by a state-certified inspector, the story added.

According to the story, it is often cheaper to demolish a former methamphetamine lab site, especially in the case of mobile homes, than it is to pay for remediation.