Stateline.org says “Buyers Beware” when purchasing homes. They could be contaminated meth houses as I’ve reported here before.
But the problem is getting worse and the owners of such contaminated properties may make you an “offer you can’t refuse” - until you know the truth about the property and what it will cost to “fix” the problem if that’s possible.
Several states have databases about contaminated properties, but since the EPA is involved, you’d think there’d be a federal listing of some sort.
The state of Colorado estimates clean up costs for a contaminated house are $15,000 to $30,000 for a 2000 square foot home, your typical single family dwelling or rental propety.
Here are some databases:
Every pound of meth cooked results in up to five to seven pounds of toxic chemical wastes that pose serious health and environmental hazards, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
The DEA reported seizures of 16,813 methamphetamine laboratories in 2005, up from 9,747 in 2004. There are no federal regulations for cleaning up meth labs, and unknown numbers of families unwittingly move into houses where meth was concocted, state health officials said.
…the cooking process releases a cloud of toxic chemicals, including hydrochloric acid, phosphorous, iodine and methamphetamine itself, that seeps into floors and walls and can potentially cause long-term health problems, said Shawn Arbuckle, an industrial hygiene program coordinator at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, which has conducted several studies on the impact of meth labs.
Potential health problems range from headaches and blisters to damaged lungs, liver and kidneys. Children are especially sensitive to chemical exposure, which can damage their developing brains, Arbuckle said.
“You know that youngsters still crawling around on hands and knees put everything in their mouth, so they’re especially at risk of picking up methamphetamine residues,” he said.
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