Two different problems: use and manufacture
Drug residue problems in buildings fall into two broad groups.
- Use-related contamination. Smoking or otherwise using drugs such as methamphetamine indoors over time leaves residue on walls, ceilings, fabrics and HVAC components. Use-related residue can build up to measurable levels, especially where use was heavy and long-term.
- Manufacturing contamination. A clandestine lab, where a drug was produced rather than only used, involves solvents, acids, reactive chemicals and process waste. These sites can carry chemical hazards well beyond the drug itself, and they are usually under law-enforcement and often state-agency control.
The two can call for very different scopes, sampling plans and regulatory steps, so the first task is to understand which one you're dealing with.
Testing comes first
Residue isn't reliably visible, and odor is a poor guide to it. Surface wipe sampling, analyzed by an accredited laboratory, is the standard way to find out whether residue is present, how much there is and where it is. Testing before cleanup sets the scope. Testing after cleanup shows whether the work met the applicable standard. We coordinate sampling by qualified professionals and explain what the results mean.
State rules vary widely
There is no single national cleanup standard. The U.S. EPA publishes Voluntary Guidelines for Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Laboratory Cleanup, revised in 2021 with a chapter on fentanyl, which many states and practitioners use as a reference. Several states go further.
- Tennessee, through TDEC, quarantines affected properties. Release requires testing by a certified specialist or Certified Industrial Hygienist and decontamination by an authorized contractor.
- Kentucky requires decontamination of affected inhabitable properties by contractors certified by the Energy and Environment Cabinet.
- Arkansas requires remediation by contractors certified by the Division of Environmental Quality.
- West Virginia licenses clandestine drug laboratory remediation contractors and technicians and requires an approved remediation plan before work starts.
- North Carolina sets decontamination standards in state rules, with pre-decontamination assessments filed with local health departments.
Where a state requires a specific credential, the regulated portion of the work is performed only by parties holding that credential. We'll tell you who they are before work is scheduled.
What remediation involves
Depending on test results and the applicable rules, remediation can include removing contaminated porous materials, washing and rinsing surfaces with detergent, decontaminating or replacing HVAC components, cleaning or removing fixtures and appliances, encapsulating surfaces that can't be fully cleaned (where the rules allow), and post-remediation sampling to confirm the result. Documentation is assembled for any agency filing, lender, buyer or insurer that needs it.
Fentanyl
Fentanyl and its analogs are potent, and some situations call for different handling than methamphetamine. EPA's 2021 guidance notes that there are currently no state or federal standards for when a former fentanyl lab has been successfully remediated. We plan these projects carefully and don't overstate what any single test proves.
Who this helps
Landlords and property managers dealing with tenant turnover, buyers and sellers, lenders and REO managers, hotel operators, fleet and vehicle owners, and families who have inherited or bought a property with an unknown history.