Meth labs spawn cleanup industry

AKRON — Roy Wilkinson waved the meth scanner around the kitchen pantry.

The red “Meth” light on the futuristic-looking, hand-held scanner blinked on at numerous spots, indicating a positive hit.

Not a good sign, since the property owner had cleaned the pantry to get rid of the meth spill in the Akron home.

So Wilkinson, owner of Safety Elements in Akron, double-checked the scanner, which can provide false positives. He conducted two separate swab tests that are 99.9 percent reliable.

Each one came up negative. No methamphetamine.

Wilkinson and others who test for and clean up after meth labs are experiencing a business boom because of the ongoing meth problem in Ohio. Last year, the Summit County Drug Unit busted 68 meth labs, which turn homes, motel rooms, storage lockers and anywhere else the drug is made into toxic-waste sites.

The need for professional testing and cleanup services is expected to keep growing, experts said, as people become more aware of the potential health hazards of living in a former meth lab.

Landlords, hotel owners and others also are starting to understand the legal ramifications of renting homes, apartments or rooms used in meth operations without first cleaning them.

“We get tons of phone calls regarding meth labs. We get them every day,” said Marc Onesta, owner of Bio Clean Services in Hudson, which began offering the testing and cleanup services in 2006. “Companies like mine are benefiting from other people’s crimes.”

Public awareness has grown thanks to media reports about the meth problem and Web sites such as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Clandestine Laboratory Register and Summit County Meth Awareness. Both sites identify locations of busted meth labs.

“The awareness is out there,” Onesta said. “Everybody knows what a meth lab is. I don’t have to explain to anybody. Meth lab? Bad. Two years ago, no one really knew.”

Meth is a drug manufactured by cooking ingredients, including over-the-counter medications. The cooking process creates dangerous chemical residues that can seep into walls and carpeting.

Exposure to those chemicals can cause headaches, chest pain, nausea, dizziness and other problems, depending on the length and type of the exposure, according to health experts.

Despite the hazard, Ohio and most other states have no cleanup standards that determine when a meth-tainted property is safe again.

Ohio also doesn’t regulate meth testing and cleanup companies.

Anyone can start a meth-cleanup company or add the service to an existing firm without training or knowledge about the drug. That’s happening, industry leaders said, because companies can make a lot of money.

It can cost anywhere from $200 to $1,200 for the tests and $2,000 to $6,000 for the cleanup. Those costs can be higher if the meth exposure is severe, and those costs do not include replacing carpeting and drywall or other repairs.

Meth isn’t something that can just be wiped up, vacuumed or painted over that can actually spread the chemicals, experts said. They worry that shady operators could pocket money without removing the health hazard.

“What’s an expert and who’s qualified?” said Dale Cillian, president of the American Bio-Recovery Association and owner of BIOPRO in Gilbert, Ariz. “That’s a real big problem.”

Ohio should license meth workers similar to plumbers and electricians to ensure they know what they are doing, industry leaders said. The state also needs to develop cleanup standards, they said.

“Everyone knows you have to clean up a meth lab, but you have to do it the right way,” Onesta said.

The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.