Meth Production:
Environmental Destruction, Costly Cleanup

In addition to the dangers posed by chemicals, fumes, fires and explosions, meth production also damages the environment. The meth manufacturing process creates approximately five pounds of toxic chemical waste each time meth is produced. Leftover chemicals and liquid byproducts are often dumped on roadsides and into creeks, rivers and sewage systems.

Law enforcement personnel and environmental cleanup crews must wear special protective equipment, including self-contained breathing apparatus, to safely perform their duties in and near a meth lab. Toxic soil must be removed from the area. In addition, meth lab chemicals and their byproducts contaminate everything in the vicinity of the lab. This includes carpeting, furniture, clothing, and even wallpaper.

The cost of the initial cleanup that must be performed by professional hazardous waste companies averages $5,000 per lab. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. taxpayers paid $16.2 million to clean up drug labs in 2003. After a lab has been discovered and cleaned up, homeowners and landlords must also bear the expense of decontaminating the structure before it can be inhabited again safely.