Meth-contamination tests of homes on rise

A Cedar City couple's young daughter became seriously ill after ingesting something off the carpet in their new apartment.

Doctors at the hospital determined it was methamphetamine. The state Division of Child and Family Services responded to take the child. The police department launched an investigation into the couple. The health department inspected the dwelling.

Ultimately, officials determined the apartment's previous occupants had left meth residue behind.

A meth test could have prevented that child from becoming ill, said Mike Rowzee, owner of Certified Decontamination in West Jordan, who was called to clean the apartment.

"I just see people too often getting a new home with problems that a home inspector would have found," he said.

Meth tests are becoming common among would-be homebuyers, renters and property investors. Home inspectors also are including them among their services. State certified decontamination specialists can also be hired to conduct such tests and, if necessary, clean the dwelling.

The Utah Association of Realtors and an attorney for Wasatch Front apartment owners recently questioned the integrity of the state's meth testing and remediation program, saying it is a conflict of interest for decontamination specialists to do both. They also question the standard for what constitutes a contaminated dwelling because it can require thousands of dollars of unnecessary cleaning and removal.

Decontamination specialists say they abide by state law and follow the protocol established by local health departments. Health officials say they haven't found any fraud.

"We really don't see an issue that way. I can see how the perception can be out there," said Terry Beebe, Utah County environmental health director. "There's enough work out there that people don't need to be creating it. There's enough that they can do it honestly."

The Utah Department of Environmental Quality, which certifies decontamination specialists, currently lists 17 individuals on its Web site, including two from Idaho.

Bill Rees, who oversees the DEQ certification program, said he's not aware of cheating. Companies must meet a series of performance standards, including submitting a work plan for each job.

Rowzee, who has been in the decontamination business for seven years, said he tries to avoid the appearance of impropriety by giving customers a list of trained meth testers.