For almost three years, the Environmental Health Division has had a Methamphetamine Coordinator on staff to provide guidance and regulatory enforcement of the cleanup of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories ("meth labs"). Unfortunately, recent budget cuts have forced us to eliminate this position. Condemnation and cleanup of meth labs, however, are incorporated in Article IX of the Kalamazoo County Sanitary Code and this regulatory enforcement must continue. The duties of the Methamphetamine Coordinator will be distributed amongst the Land Water & Wastewater staff. While our staff will be unable to provide the hands-on guidance, advising, and educational efforts that were done previously, meth labs will still be condemned and information will be provided to property owners so that contaminated dwellings can be remediated.

The primary contact will now be the Land Water & Wastewater Supervisor, Kim Finkbeiner. The primary field personnel will be Randy Riggs. Their contact information is provided below. The remaining staff will be involved in regular site checks as time allows assuring that condemnation placards are visible and the condemned dwellings appear vacant.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Kim Finkbeiner, REHS CPG
Supervisor
269-373-5352
klfink@kalcounty.com

Randy Riggs
Environmental Health Specialist
269-373-5344
rwrigg@kalcounty.com

Deborah Cardiff
Director
269-373-5347
dacard@kalcounty.com

Methamphetamine Bust Summary (As of March 1, 2010)

Summary:
2004: 4 total meth busts
2005: 122 total meth busts
2006: 48 total meth busts
2007: 33 total meth busts
2008: 122 total meth busts
2009: 154 total meth busts
2010: 24 total meth busts, as of March 1, 2010. Please note: All busts have been added, including vehicles, fields, & misc.

Methamphetamine Bust Status for Kalamazoo County

The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners adopted the Regulations Pertaining to the Cleanup of Methamphetamine Laboratories on May 16, 2006. These regulations are contained in Article IX , page 87, of the Kalamazoo County Sanitary Code. The Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services, Environmental Heath Division is responsible for the administration of these regulations contained in Article IX. The regulations require that minimum standards for the cleanup of laboratories used to manufacture methamphetamine be met before permitting human habitation of those dwellings.

ARTICLE IX: ILLEGAL METHAMPHETAMINE LABORATORIES CLEANUP REGULATIONS

CHAPTER 23a: PURPOSE
The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners has determined that it is necessary to ensure that dwellings that have been used as illegal methamphetamine labs are "safe" to reoccupy and has authorized the Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department to establish standards for the cleanup of illegal methamphetamine laboratories used to manufacture and/or use methamphetamine. Pursuant to these regulations, property owners or any person seeking to inhabit a dwelling or to lease/rent/sell a dwelling for habitation, are required to meet all of the requirements set forth in these regulations before permitting the human habitation of a dwelling used as an illegal methamphetamine laboratory, except that a property owner may elect instead to demolish the contaminated property.

CHAPTER 24a: APPLICABILITY
The requirements of this section apply: (1) when an owner of property has received notification from the Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department that chemicals, equipment, or supplies indicative of an illegal methamphetamine laboratory are located at the property, or (2) when an illegal methamphetamine laboratory is otherwise discovered, and the owner of the property where the drug laboratory is located has received notice.

CHAPTER 26a: CONDEMNATION PROCEDURES
Whenever the Department receives written notice from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, (MDEQ), the Michigan Department of Community Health, (MDCH) or from a local law enforcement agency about the existence of any property, dwelling, structure or recreational vehicle that is or has been identified as a suspected illegal methamphetamine laboratory, the Department shall institute the procedures set forth in these regulations.

CHAPTER 27a: PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT
A preliminary assessment shall be conducted by the consultant, in accordance with this regulation, prior to the commencement of property decontamination. Information gained during the preliminary assessment shall be the basis for property decontamination and clearance sampling. Contractors and consultants shall use appropriate personal protective equipment during the preliminary assessment. Access to the property shall be limited to those with appropriate training and personal protective equipment. The preliminary assessment report must be completed and signed by the Environmental Professional as defined in Section 25a.18 of the regulations. Information collected during the preliminary assessment shall include items also defined in Section 25a.18.

The property owner has the option of waiving the assessment-sampling portion of the preliminary assessment process. In the event that the property owner elects to waive the assessment-sampling portion of the preliminary assessment process, a written request shall be submitted to the Department indicating that the homeowner has elected to waive this portion of the preliminary assessment process. In addition, the remaining information described in Chapter 27a, (Preliminary Assessment) items i-xiv (pp 92-93) shall be submitted to the Department for review prior to beginning the decontamination process.

CHAPTER 28a: DECONTAMINATION PROCEDURES
If the results of the Preliminary Assessment identify that the building or structure is contaminated as a result of illegal methamphetamine activity or if the property owner elects to waive the preliminary assessment, decontamination shall be conducted to reduce the concentration of contaminants to the levels specified in Chapter 30a of this regulation. Decontamination shall be conducted in accordance with procedures designed to protect workers, future occupants, neighbors and the general public, and shall include, but not be limited to items defined in Section 28a.01-10 (pp 93-95) of the regulations.

CHAPTER 30a: CLEAN UP LEVELS
The following cleanup levels shall be used to determine if a property has been adequately decontaminated. They may also be used during the preliminary assessment to demonstrate that a property, or portion of a property, is not contaminated. All properties must meet the cleanup level for methamphetamine. Additional cleanup levels that may be applied to a property shall be based on information gained during the preliminary assessment.

CHAPTER 31a: POST-DECONTAMINATION REPORTING
A final report shall be prepared by the consultant to document the decontamination process and demonstrate that the property has been decontaminated to the cleanup levels listed in Chapter 30a of these regulations. The final report shall be complete and signed by the Environmental Professional and include the items defined in Section 30a.01-25 (pp 96-98).

Helpful Links:

Owner Remediation Guidelines
DEA Methamphetamine Facts
Michigan Meth Watch Program
State of Michigan Methamphetamine Resources
What Do I Do Now?