By Sarah Green
KHI News Service
TOPEKA, Feb. 9
Congresswoman Nancy Boyda announced the passage of a U.S. House resolution that provides guidelines for cleaning up homes and structures that have housed methamphetamine labs.
Boyda, a Democrat who represents the 2nd Congressional District of Kansas, was a co-sponsor of H.R. 365, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act, which was passed on Wednesday. The act directs the Environmental Protection Agency to establish guidelines for declaring that a house, apartment or other building that has been home to a methamphetamine lab has been sufficiently cleaned.
Representatives from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation joined Boyda in making the announcement at a Statehouse press conference.
“This bill will lead to safer, cleaner communities for all of Kansas,” Boyda said.
Methamphetamine production sends toxic chemicals into the air, which accumulate
on interior surfaces of home such as walls and carpet, creating hazardous environments. As a result, homes and rental properties where production takes place must be thoroughly cleaned before new tenants or owners can move in, said Ron Hammerschmidt, director of the Division of Environment for KDHE.
But there”s no good data to show how thorough the cleaning should be.
“This will give us voluntary guidelines that help us tell people that it”s safe to go back into these structures,” Hammerschmidt said. “And, the research that will be conducted associated with this bill will allow us to protect not only our citizens who are capable of making decisions for themselves but also their children, who may be exposed.”
There”s little scientific data now that can help law enforcement and environmental officials make those decisions.
“The scientific data we have is a best guess,” said Kyle Smith, deputy director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. “We shouldn”t be guessing. This is public health we”re talking about.”
Boyda said Congress was concerned about methamphetamine use and production and would continue to work on initiatives to fight the problems.
In 2006, according to the KBI, 62 or the state”s 168 methamphetamine incidents occurred in the 2nd District, which covers most of the eastern third of the state.
Sarah Green is a staff writer for KHI News Service, which specializes in coverage of health issues facing Kansans. She can be reached at
sgreen@khi.org
or at 785-233-5443, ext. 118.