Washington, DC (February, 7, 2007) Today, the U.S. House of Representatives is set to pass H.R. 365, The Methamphetamine Remediation Act-a bill aimed at cleaning up the toxic mess left behind by methamphetamine labs.
The bill charges the Environmental Protection Agency with the development of health-based guidelines to assist state and local authorities in cleaning up former meth lab sites.
In addition to establishing those guidelines, the bill will also:
· Direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to consult with EPA in developing technologies to detect meth labs, emphasizing in-field test kits for law enforcement.
· Require the National Academy of Sciences to study the long-term health impacts of meth exposure on first-responders and on children taken from meth lab sites.
The following are Congresman Chandler's remarks as prepared for delivery on the House floor today.
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Meth Remediation Research Act of 2007. This important piece of legislation addresses a problem that affects every state in this country, and unfortunately has disproportionately affected my home state of Kentucky.
“Law enforcement officials have done an incredible job in fighting the meth epidemic. According to the Office of Drug Control Policy in June of last year, there were almost 57% fewer meth lab seizures in Kentucky than in previous years. However, our state still ended the year with well over 500 meth lab incidents.
“Our law enforcement officials can not do it alone. Fighting production of meth is not the last battle we face when dealing with this terrible drug. We have to take it one step further.
“Meth is highly volatile, and because it is often produced in homes, apartments, or hotel rooms-this drug can threaten the health of whoever may occupy the space next. We must work to ensure that the environments of our families are free of the remnants of meth production. We must take necessary steps so that authorities know how to best clean former sites and develop new technologies for detecting this harmful drug. Mr. Speaker that is exactly what this bill does.
“I encourage my colleagues to support this bill and help our communities in their fight against methamphetamine.”
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