How toxic is 'toxic'? Cleaning up residences contaminated by meth is fraught with flaws

Utah's meth epidemic appears to have unleashed a wave of entrepreneurs or opportunists who can make — or save — thousands on the cleanup of homes where meth has been made or used.

The issue seems simple: Methamphetamine residue is bad, although health consequences are ambiguous, and people shouldn't live where remnants of the drug are present.

But a variety of parties have an interest in this issue — and millions of dollars are at stake.

Homeowners and renters obviously care about their safety. Local health departments must close down housing that is contaminated. Landlords have to pay thousands of dollars to clean it all up.

And importantly, someone must test the carpet, the walls and the air ducts for meth residue.

This is where the Utah system falls flat.

Research by the Deseret Morning News shows the system for detecting houses "contaminated" by meth is flawed at best and, in the worst cases, fraudulent.

Critics say area health departments seem to have abdicated responsibility for the mess and have turned it over to a handful of private "decontamination specialists" with little hands-on training and no oversight.

"There's a cry and a need for this to be fixed," says Chris Kyler, government affairs specialist for the Utah Association of Realtors. "They're bilking people, period."

Brian Reid, an environmental-health specialist for the Salt Lake Valley Health Department, agrees there are holes in the system.

"I do realize that there is a lot of money possibly at stake," Reid said. But he's not sure how to fix the system. "It's not perfect, by any means."

Furthermore, meth tests are inconsistent — some say even unreliable — and the same companies doing the tests are often also doing the cleanup.

That's a conflict of interest, says Kirk Cullimore, an attorney who represents many Wasatch Front apartment owners. "If the guy doing the testing is the guy who's going to do the cleanup, of course he's going to find meth," he said.

"The intent was to protect people. The intent was not to create a cottage industry for a few guys doing meth cleanup."

Kyler said the state should prohibit meth testers from being "remediators," offering cleanup services.