Illegal clandestine drug labs are typically used to manufacture methamphetamine, commonly referred to as meth, speed or crank, and may pose a health threat to unsuspecting home buyers or renters.
Meth lab contaminants may pose health threats to persons exposed to them. After an illegal meth lab is discovered by law enforcement officials, the bulk of lab-related materials, including chemicals and containers, is usually removed. However, small amounts of contaminants may have been left behind on floors, walls, counters, carpets, furniture, sinks, drains and ventilation systems.
If a property is suspected of being a clandestine lab, first, please report it to the local law enforcement agency in that location. Meth lab contaminants may pose health threats to persons exposed to them. The bulk of lab-related materials, including chemicals and containers, is usually removed. However, small amounts of contaminants may have been left behind on floors, walls, counters, carpets, furniture, sinks, drains, and ventilation systems.
When a property is identified by law enforcement as a clandestine drug laboratory, the property will be posted, and the law enforcement agency will notify the property owner and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s Environmental Health Program. The Idaho Environmental Health Program will then place that property on the Clandestine Drug Laboratory Site Property List.
Clandestine lab information
IDHW does not conduct indoor air sampling or methamphetamine testing. For guidance for local agencies, property owners, contractors and the general public in addressing contamination at former meth labs see:
- IDAPA 16.02.24 rules for Clandestine Drug Laboratory Cleanup
- Idaho Department of Health and Welfare's Guidance document for cleaning up former methamphetamine labs
- Properties reported as clandestine drug labs are added to the Clandestine drug lab property list
In order to remove a property from the IDHW's Clandestine Drug Laboratory Site Property List, the property must be cleaned or demolished according to all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations. Property owners may choose to hire a cleanup contractor or conduct the cleanup themselves.
After cleanup, clearance sampling must then be conducted by a qualified industrial hygienist to ensure that the property has been cleaned according to the standard. A qualified industrial hygienist can include a Certified Industrial Hygienist or a Registered Professional Industrial Hygienist (IDAPA 16.02.24). Find qualified industrial hygienists under the Industrial Hygiene Resources section below.
Instructions for delisting a property are found in the Guidelines for Cleaning Up Former Methamphetamine Labs.
Only a qualified industrial hygienist can determine if a property has met the cleanup standard as required by the Idaho Administrative Procedures Act (IDAPA) 16.02.24. The property owner must provide the Idaho Environmental Health Program with an original or certified copy of the final report from the qualified industrial hygienist or documentation establishing that the property has been fully and lawfully demolished.