Washington, DC (February 7, 2007) – Today, the House passed by a vote of 426-2 important legislation that will help communities across Texas locate, shut down, and clean up toxic methamphetamine labs.

H.R. 365, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act, authorizes $1.75 million for the Environmental Protection Agency to develop guidelines that will assist state and local authorities in the clean-up of former sites. The bill will also establish a research program that will investigate better ways to handle the dangerous residues of meth production. Last week, Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) added his support to H.R. 365.

“The volatile, poisonous chemicals used to make methamphetamines create a toxic mess that threatens the health of anyone exposed to it,” Hinojosa said. “This is especially worrisome when you consider that most labs are mom-and-pop operations located in houses, apartments, and hotel rooms.”

In fact, two-thirds of all meth labs are found in residential settings. Between 2003 and 2005, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported more than 47,000 incidents. In Texas, The DEA shut down over 260 meth labs in 2005 and seized 2,140 pounds. The agency also estimates that for every pound of meth produced, five pounds of toxic waste is created. The average direct cost of clean-up ranges from $2,000 to $3,000 per lab.

However, the true damage done by meth production is compounded when one takes into account the thousands of innocent children authorities find living at these labs each year. Nationwide, 1,660 children were affected by, injured, or even killed at meth labs in 2005, according to the El Paso Intelligence Center.

“Virtually no corner of this country has escaped the rampant rise in meth production,” said Hinojosa. “It is imperative that we shed light on this issue and help our local communities safely clean up these hazardous sites.”

In addition to establishing those guidelines, the bill will also:

•         Authorize $750,000 for the National Institute of Standards and Technology to begin research on the development of meth detection equipment specifically for use in the field of and aid to the EPA in the establishment of voluntary guidelines for assessment and remediation of meth labs

•         Direct the EPA to work with the National Academy of Sciences to study the long-term health impact of exposure to meth labs on first-responders and children and recommend an agenda for the EPA research program.