A critical cleanup duty

Gazette Editorial Board

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Manufacturing methamphetamines is a nasty, illegal business involving toxic chemicals. When they bust a meth lab, law enforcement officials generally remove the bulk of the lab debris, but that doesn't necessarily mean the danger is all gone.

Increasingly, cities are stepping up, requiring landlords to clean up toxic meth lab residue before again renting to tenants. That's a good step, but addresses only part of the public health problem.

A state standard for cleanup may be in order.

We also see merit in expanding state law on real estate disclosure if a property has been involved in meth production, what chemical residue was found and how it was remediated. No Iowa tenant or new property owner should unwittingly find themselves exposed.

Though the state's meth production appears to have leveled off, more dwellings each year are being exposed through meth production to toxic chemicals - such as Freon, starting fluid, drain cleaner, paint thinner, anhydrous ammonia, muriatic acid and lithium - and the dangerous combinations those precursors make.

Some of those chemicals may linger on surfaces, soak into others (such as drywall, ceiling tile, carpets and drapes), and permeate drains and ventilation systems, even once the main source of contamination is hauled away, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

To determine whether a property is safe, public health officials recommend asking local law enforcement, the property owner, hazardous material contractors or the county health or fire departments. We doubt many people do.

The burden of discovery should not all be on potential occupants. Property owners should disclose and mitigate the risk of dangerous leftover chemicals.

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