| Clandestine methamphetamine labs have been implicated in fires, explosions, toxic chemical releases, and hazardous waste dumping. Experts anticipate these problems to proliferate as methamphetamine use spreads across the United States. “Cooks" with little or no training use chemicals from local drugstores, equipment from hardware stores, and recipes from the Internet. Cooks may be drug users, or they may be involved with drug cartels. Their main concern is maintaining their supply of methamphetamine, without regard to the safety of their children or neighbors. Labs may be small and mobile, or they may blend in with the surrounding neighborhood, making them hard to locate until a disaster occurs. Teams of trained specialists from the USEPA assist police officers and firefighters in shutting down laboratory operations safely, cleaning up contaminated areas, and disposing of hazardous materials. These response teams are trained to handle unlabeled containers, unknown mixtures of chemicals, and high concentrations of toxic or explosive fumes. This video lists telltale signs of illicit drug lab activities. The video shows precautions to follow when a lab or dump site is discovered, and it gives contact information regarding the Superfund’s response training program. Running time is 25 minutes. |