posted July 26, 2007
Since the passage of a state law allowing law enforcement to quarantine sites that have been used for the production of methamphetamine, the Bradley County Sheriff's Office has posted quarantine notices on eight homes.
The law gives law enforcement a mechanism to quarantine homes until they are cleaned of contamination and certified by an industrial hygienist as being safe to occupy.
The law deals specifically with the potential harm to humans who are exposed to the vapors that are given off by the combining of various substances and chemicals to produce meth. Toxic vapors are released that can be absorbed into the walls, floors and contents of the house.
Last week the Bradley County Sheriff's Office received the final report of a hygienist for a residence at 1113 Lay St., one of the quarantined properties.
Det. Mike Hughes, the environmental officer for the sheriff?s office, said the residence is now safe after the property owner had the site cleaned. It is the first quarantined property that Det. Hughes has released.
Cleaning up a meth site is expensive, leaving the homeowner with an expense often amounting to several thousand dollars, officials said.
During investigation at the Lay Street apartment, the Drug Enforcement Unit found the components of a meth lab. The renter was forced to leave everything behind including furniture, kitchen utensils, bedding, family photos and clothing.
The owner of the apartment bore the expense of hauling away the contents, having a state-certified industrial hygienist assess the extent of contamination, and rebuilding the apartment's interior, it was stated.
Det. Hughes said pretty much everything was replaced including walls, bathroom fixtures, kitchen cabinets and the kitchen sink. "The chemicals used to produce meth are toxic and pose a health risk to humans and animals," he said.
The state Department of Environment and Conservation warns residual contamination "can be found adsorbed onto surfaces, and permeated into walls, carpets, drapes, bedding, furniture, appliances, clothing, toys, etc."
Potential health hazards from residual contamination at clandestine meth labs include:
·d-Methamphetamine - numerous neurological effects, stroke and cerebral vasculitis. Infants are at greatest risk.
·Iodine - thyroid, pulmonary edema
·Red Phosphorus - Eye, respiratory irritants/burns
·Phosphine Gas - Respiratory Impairment, toxic
·Acids - Eye, respiratory and dermal irritants/burns
·Caustics - Eye, respiratory and dermal irritants/burns
·Metals - Dermal burns, spontaneous fires
·Solvents - carcinogens, liver / CNS effects, flammable
·Sharp objects - Hepatitis, potential HIV infection
Det. Hughes said the remaining seven sites cannot be used until corrective measures have been taken and the quarantine is released. Violating the order is a health risk and subjects the violator to arrest. Each site is posted with brightly-colored signs to warn of the danger.
Sites in Bradley County that Det. Hughes has quarantined are:
·1165 Armstrong Road
·188 Crane Street
·1800 Church Street South
·1804 Church Street South
·1124 White Oak Road
·Norwood Court (number unavailable)
·1540 Lee Street
Sheriff Tim Gobble said he supports quarantining of places that were used to produce meth.
TCA 68-212-503 (c) (2) (d) says, "It is prohibited for any person to inhabit quarantined property, to offer such property to the public for temporary or indefinite habitation, or to remove any signs or notices of the quarantine. Any person who willfully violates this subsection (d) commits a Class B misdemeanor."
Notices of quarantine are sent to the state and filed with the Register of Deeds office.
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