METH LAB CLEANUP: California adopted a law in 2006 regulating the cleanup of residual contamination from meth labs.

REMEDIATION:
In cases of extreme contamination, a house will be demolished. Most situations will require some or all of the following measures:

Property owners are responsible for hiring a contractor to develop a cleanup plan. Local health authorities must oversee the work.

1. REMOVAL
Carpets, drapes, fabrics and drywall anything that absorbs typically need to be removed and disposed of. They can absorb vapors and collect dust and powder from chemicals.

2. WASHING
Non-porous or semiporous surfaces such as floors, counters, tiles, walls and ceilings are typically cleaned with a detergent-water solution.

3. SEALING
For heavily contaminated surfaces that cant be removed, one option after washing is to paint the surface with an oil-based paint or epoxy to create a barrier and prevent the outgassing of contaminants. Common places for meth labs are bathrooms, kitchens and garages.

Drywall is removed. Ventilation may reduce contamination and decrease odors.

Meth lab area

Contents of the house are removed and placed in a bin for landfill disposal. Steam cleaning and an acid wash is an option for cleaning concrete floors.

Staging area

The heating, ventilation and air-cooling system is cleaned and filters are replaced at the end of the remediation process.

COOKING METH: Meth can be made in small stovetop labs that produce only a few ounces and can fit in a box,
or in "super labs" that produce hundreds of pounds. Smaller labs usually consist of small glassware, baking dishes, 1-gallon containers and coffee filters. Larger labs consist of 22-liter reaction vessels, large flasks, heating mantles and 55-gallon drums. Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, ingredients in over-the-counter cold and asthma medications, are key to making meth. One way to extract them is using solvents and heat. Once extracted, they're combined with chemicals, such as red phosphorus, and heated. The cooked material is mixed with other ingredients, such as sodium hydroxide and Freon. The liquid meth is drained and treated with hydrochloride gas. Meth crystallizes and falls to the bottom. The finished meth is dried. The operation and many of the ingredients are extremely dangerous and can cause serious injury or death, not only to the cooks but also to others nearby.

Blender

Used to grind up tablets into a powder

Bucket
3 1 4 12

Filled with cat litter, which absorbs reaction gases

Glass flask
Heated to cook the meth

10 9 7 11

6 13

Meth elements
Chemicals found in lab
1. Acetone 2. Methanol 3. Ammonia 4. Ether 5. Freon 6. Hydriodic acid 7. Lithium metal 8. Muriatic acid 9. Pseudoephedrine 10. Red phosphorus 11. Sodium hydroxide 12. Sulfuric acid 13. Toluene 14. Liquid lab waste

14

Legitimate uses
Fingernail polish remover, solvents Brake cleaner fluid, fuel Disinfectants Starters fluid, anesthetic Refrigerant, propellants Driveway cleaner Lithium batteries Swimming pool cleaners Cold medicines Matches, road flares Drain cleaners, lye Battery acid Paint thinners, solvents None

Health hazards
Reproductive disorders Blindness, eye damage Blistering, lung damage Reproductive disorders Frostbite, lung damage Burns, thyroid damage Burns, fluid in lungs Burns, toxic vapors Heart damage Unstable, flammable Burns, skin ulcers Burns, thyroid damage Fetal damage, pneumonia Unknown long-term effects

SOURCES: RIVERSIDE COUNTY DRUG ENDANGERED CHILDREN PROGRAM; SGT. KEITH PROCTOR, SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPT.; DOUBLE BARREL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RESEACH BY DOUGLAS QUAN; GRAPHIC BY BECKY HAGEMAN, ALBERT CORONA, CHRIS RAMOS/THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE