A number of state health departments have developed technical information to address residual chemical contamination found in dwellings and other buildings formerly used to manufacture illicit drugs.
Why is this Project Important?
Homes, hotels, and other types of buildings are used for the illegal production of methamphetamine and other drugs like fentanyl. These activities often involve a variety of hazardous chemicals, and EPA has published voluntary guidelines for cleaning up the resulting contamination.
Even after clandestine drug labs are dismantled and hazardous materials cleaned up, residual chemical contamination may remain on hard and soft interior surfaces. The chemicals can then move into the indoor air and pose health risks to people inside the home or other building. Public health agencies may be called on to evaluate the property before it can be reoccupied.
What Materials Have Been Developed by State Agencies?
Following are selected examples of state technical resources on addressing contamination from clandestine drug labs.
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Cleaning Up Drug-Impacted Dwellings - A Guide for Local Health Departments
- Washington State Department of Health, Drug Lab Cleanup Program
- Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Guidelines for Cleaning Up Former Methamphetamine Labs
- Minnesota Department of Health, Meth Lab Resources
- Illinois Department of Public Health, Guidelines for Cleaning Up Former Methamphetamine Labs
How Can You Learn More?
See EPA’s voluntary clean up guidance and related material at: Voluntary Guidelines for Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Laboratory Cleanup.