For several months, Greg Sweeney operated a makeshift methamphetamine (meth) lab in the basement of his flower shop in Clendenin, West Virginia. He then used the floral delivery truck to deliver the meth and hide dumping of the hazardous wastes such as toluene that had been left over after making the drugs. Subsequently, Sweeney's operation was discovered and he was convicted for the use and disposal of hazardous wastes under 42 U.S.C. §6903(b) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and 21 U.S. Code § 846 for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. This is one of many examples of the production and illegal disposal of methamphetamine and illustrates the dual track that law enforcement can take in prosecuting meth lab cases.
[...] Chlorinated solvents poured down the drain or flushed in toilets may contaminate plumbing systems and groundwater, leading to additional health and environmental hazards, and substantially increase the cost of cleanup.[14] Hazardous Chemical's Affects on Law Enforcement and the Public Methamphetamine production affects a broad segment of society. Individuals living near a lab can be exposed to toxic fumes or hazardous chemicals. Uninformed tenants may be affected after moving into an apartment that was not adequately cleaned. And law enforcement personnel can be exposed to the hazardous waste when entering a makeshift lab. [...]
[...] A universal approach would work to ensure sufficient cleanup equipments and make it more difficult for those making meth from moving state to state in search of locations with more lenient laws. In addition to establishing uniform policy and guidance, more resources must be provided to states in order to deal with the high costs of cleaning up hazardous chemicals resulting from the producing of meth. Without financial backing, local jurisdictions will not be able to ensure adequate cleanup of hazardous chemicals left behind from meth's production. [...]
[...] of Mental Health, supra note See also Office of Nat'l Drug Control Policy, supra note 2. Anna G. Vogt, Comment: The Mess Left Behind: Regulating the Cleanup of Former Methamphetamine Laboratories Idaho L. Rev (2001); See also Office of Nat'l Drug Control Policy, supra note 2. Koch Crime Institute, Methamphetamine Frequently Asked Questions, available at http://www.kci.org/meth_info/faq_meth.htm; See also Wyoming Dept. of Health, supra note 3. Vogt, supra note 7. Koch Crime Institute, supra note 8. Office of Nat'l Drug Control Policy, supra note 2. Id. Office of Nat'l Drug Control Policy, supra note 2. [...]
[...] As such, a comprehensive local, state, and national effort is needed to: educate law enforcement and the general public of the dangers of meth production and cleanup of meth labs, set standards for cleanup and adequate levels of funding, and ensure that the environmental effects of the hazardous chemicals are mitigated. Effects and Production of Meth Methamphetamine is an extremely addictive drug that has prolonged and adverse effects on the central nervous system and brain.[4] It is manufactured from dangerous chemicals that are nevertheless, readily available to the public. [...]
[...] Koch Crime Institute, supra note 8. defined as situations involving a response from medical or enforcement personnel. Joyce Howard Price, CDC sees greatest harm in accidents at meth labs, The Washington Times April 2005, at A13. Wyoming Dept. of Health, supra note 3. Koch Crime Institute, supra note 8. Koch Crime Institute, Cleaning Up Hazardous Chemicals at Methamphetamine Laboratories: Guidelines, available at http://www.kci.org/meth_info/meth_cleanup.htm; See also Minnesota Department of Mental Health, Methamphetamine and Meth Labs: Lab Cleanup, available at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/meth/lab/labcleanup.html. [...]
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