By Marshall Stewart
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kwgs/local-kwgs-854477.mp3
Tulsa, OK – Police raid a methamphetamine lab in a home. The drug makers are busted, and taken to jail. The drug making tools are catalogued and tagged for evidence, and the emergency responders leave. But that's only the tip of the iceberg. The toxins left behind don't just go away. Unless cleaned properly, they could stay for years .creating a potentially deadly hazard for future homeowners or renters.
Bill Coye runs Apex Bioclean, a Tulsa company that specializes in cleaning up environmental messes. He's also a paramedic with years of experience in the health care field.
Lucky Lamons, a state representative from Tulsa and former police officer, agrees with Coye's assessment of the danger. He's convinced early ignorance of the long-lasting environmental impact made officers sick.
Bill Coye says some states have taken on the issue of meth lab remediation, but not Oklahoma.
Representative Lamons is chairing an interim legislative task force on the meth problem and what to do about it.
Clean-up is an expensive process, a minimum of several thousand dollars.
Lamons feels sure state lawmakers will do something about reducing the dangers of meth, including potential damage to people and the environment, but he admits it could take years to pass any meaningful legislation.
In the meantime, experts agree, the danger to the public will continue to grow across Oklahoma. That will be our focus tomorrow.