METH IS IT THE NEW MOLD?

Headnote

CLANDESTINE DRUG LABS CONTINUE TO POSE RISKS TO RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNITS

GETTING A CALL SAYING THAT POLICE ARE RAIDING ONE OF YOUR RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNITS will make any property manager's or owner's heart sink. When Clifford A. Hockley, CPM, CCIM, president of Bluestone and Hockley Real Estate Services in Portland, Ore., received such a call, he got more than he bargained for.

In a case right out of "Cops," Hockley's unit was raided by the SWAT team because the resident's boyfriend was sought for the shooting of his father. After the raid, Hock ? ley and a property manager colleague walked through the property to assess the damage from the raid. During their walk-through, Hockley's colleague noticed some tell-tale signs of methamphetamine-commonly called meth-usage and manufacturing, such as ephedrine containers, solvent, plastic tubing and hydrogen peroxide. The prop ? erty manager had just taken a training class on recogniz ? ing signs of a meth lab, and although there were no large containers of chemicals or any obvious drug-cooking equipment, it was a suspicious setup.

Hockley called in an industrial hygienist who tested the unit and confirmed the property manager's hunch: meth residue and contamination was found in one bedroom and in the kitchen.

Meth, like mold, is an invisible yet highly damaging problem within residential properties today. Often referred to as "mini toxic waste dumps" by law enforcement, meth labs are extremely volatile, posing significant health risks to future residents and, in some cases, current neighbors.

Meth is produced with a number of different chemicals, including over-the-counter medications containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine. Most of the processes also use volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), acids, bases, metals and chemical salts. The combination of these "ingredients" creates noxious fumes and contaminants that are absorbed into walls, flooring, ventilation systems and other porous surfaces, even long after the actual chemicals and manufacturing equipment are removed from the premises. Health risks from meth residue exposure can range from skin irritation and respiratory problems to lung, kidney and brain damage, depending on the level of contamination.

In recent years, the total number of all clandestine meth laboratory incidents has almost doubled, from 6,233 in 2006 to 10,064 in 2009, according to the most recent data from the U.S....