Volume 151, No. 159 covering the 1st Session of the 109th Congress (2005 - 2006) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“METHAMPHETAMINE REMEDIATION RESEARCH ACT OF 2005” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H11462-H11467 on Dec. 13, 2005.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
METHAMPHETAMINE REMEDIATION RESEARCH ACT OF 2005
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 798) to provide for a research program for remediation of closed methamphetamine production laboratories, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 798
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2005''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Methamphetamine use and production is growing rapidly throughout the United States.
(2) Some materials and chemical residues remaining from the production of methamphetamine pose novel environmental problems in locations where methamphetamine laboratories have been closed.
(3) There has been little standardization of measures for determining when the site of a former methamphetamine laboratory has been successfully remediated.
(4) Initial cleanup actions are generally limited to removal of hazardous substances and contaminated materials that pose an immediate threat to public health or the environment. It is not uncommon for significant levels of contamination to be found throughout residential structures where methamphetamine has been manufactured, partially because of a lack of knowledge of how to achieve an effective cleanup.
(5) Data on methamphetamine laboratory-related contaminants of concern are very limited, and uniform cleanup standards do not currently exist. In addition, procedures for sampling and analysis of contaminants need to be researched and developed.
(6) Many States are struggling with establishing assessment and remediation guidelines and programs to address the rapidly expanding number of methamphetamine laboratories being closed each year.
SEC. 3. VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES.
(a) Establishment of Voluntary Guidelines.--Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Administrator for Research and Development of the Environmental Protection Agency (in this Act referred to as the ``Assistant Administrator''), in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall establish voluntary guidelines, based on the best currently available scientific knowledge, for the remediation of former methamphetamine laboratories, including guidelines regarding preliminary site assessment and the remediation of residual contaminants.
(b) Considerations.--In developing the voluntary guidelines under subsection (a), the Assistant Administrator shall consider, at a minimum--
(1) relevant standards, guidelines, and requirements found in Federal, State, and local laws and regulations;
(2) the varying types and locations of former methamphetamine laboratories; and
(3) the expected cost of carrying out any proposed guidelines.
(c) States.--The voluntary guidelines should be designed to assist State and local governments in the development and the implementation of legislation and other policies to apply state-of-the-art knowledge and research results to the remediation of former methamphetamine laboratories. The Assistant Administrator shall work with State and local governments and other relevant non-Federal agencies and organizations, including through the conference described in section 5, to promote and encourage the appropriate adoption of the voluntary guidelines.
(d) Updating the Guidelines.--The Assistant Administrator shall periodically update the voluntary guidelines as the Assistant Administrator, in consultation with States and other interested parties, determines to be necessary and appropriate to incorporate research findings and other new knowledge.
SEC. 4. RESEARCH PROGRAM.
The Assistant Administrator shall establish a program of research to support the development and revision of the voluntary guidelines described in section 3. Such research shall--
(1) identify methamphetamine laboratory-related chemicals of concern;
(2) assess the types and levels of exposure to chemicals of concern identified under paragraph (1), including routine and accidental exposures, that may present a significant risk of adverse biological effects;
(3) identify the research efforts necessary to better address biological effects and to minimize adverse human exposures;
(4) evaluate the performance of various methamphetamine laboratory cleanup and remediation techniques; and
(5) support other research priorities identified by the Assistant Administrator in consultation with States and other interested parties.
SEC. 5. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CONFERENCE.
(a) Conference.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and at least every third year thereafter, the Assistant Administrator shall convene a conference of appropriate State agencies, as well as individuals or organizations involved in research and other activities directly related to the environmental, or biological impacts of former methamphetamine laboratories. The conference should be a forum for the Assistant Administrator to provide information on the guidelines developed under section 3 and on the latest findings from the research program described in section 4, and for the non-Federal participants to provide information on the problems and needs of States and localities and their experience with guidelines developed under section 3.
(b) Report.--Not later than 3 months after each conference, the Assistant Administrator shall submit a report to the Congress that summarizes the proceedings of the conference, including a summary of any recommendations or concerns raised by the non-Federal participants and how the Assistant Administrator intends to respond to them. The report shall also be made widely available to the general public.
SEC. 6. RESIDUAL EFFECTS STUDY.
(a) Study.--Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Administrator shall enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences for a study of the status and quality of research on the residual effects of methamphetamine laboratories. The study shall identify research gaps and recommend an agenda for the research program described in section 4. The study shall pay particular attention to the need for research on the impacts of methamphetamine laboratories on--
(1) the residents of buildings where such laboratories are, or were, located, with particular emphasis given to biological impacts on children; and
(2) first responders.
(b) Report.--Not later than 3 months after the completion of the study, the Assistant Administrator shall transmit to Congress a report on how the Assistant Administrator will use the results of the study to carry out the activities described in sections 3 and 4.
SEC. 7. METHAMPHETAMINE DETECTION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM.
The Director of National Institute of Standards and Technology, in consultation with the Assistant Administrator, shall support a research program to develop--
(1) new methamphetamine detection technologies, with emphasis on field test kits and site detection; and
(2) appropriate standard reference materials and validation procedures for methamphetamine detection testing.
SEC. 8. SAVINGS CLAUSE.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to add to or limit the regulatory authority of the Environmental Protection Agency.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Environmental Protection Agency.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out this Act $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2009.
(b) National Institute of Standards and Technology.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the National Institute of Standards and Technology to carry out this Act $1,500,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2009.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 798, the bill now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 798, legislation to combat an insidious aspect of the methamphetamine crisis, the environmental consequences and the potential harm to those with no connection to the drugs manufacture or use. I want to thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and the gentleman from California
(Mr. Calvert) for their active pursuit and leadership on this issue, which is of great concern to States and localities that have to deal with the aftermath of busting meth labs.
Over the past decade, methamphetamine, or meth, as it is properly called, has spread across the country, killing individuals, destroying families, and devastating communities. We are all too familiar with the facts of the case. The meth epidemic needs to be attacked on many levels. But we also have to deal with the harmful residue that meth leaves behind in homes and in the soil.
Earlier this year, I visited with Sheriff Gary Howard of Tioga County. I was so impressed with what he told me that we invited him to testify before our committee. Tioga County is located in the southern tier of New York within my congressional district.
Between 1989 and 1999, a decade, he indicated that there were only four meth lab incidents reported for the entire State of New York. Since then, the number of seized meth labs has risen quickly and steadily, from eight in the year 2000, this is the whole State, to 73 in 2003. Of that number, most were found in Tioga County.
Sheriff Howard described the terrible human tragedies associated with meth use. He had our panel in the palm of his hands, including the inherent danger to law enforcement from paranoid and agitated addicts. But he also told me, and us, that anyone who lived near or had reason to visit these active and former meth labs was at risk from unseen hazardous chemicals and dangerous byproducts of meth production. During the manufacture of meth, harmful chemicals are released into the air and distributed throughout the surrounding area. In residential settings, these chemicals penetrate and adhere to countertops and floors. They are absorbed into furnishings and carpets and walls, and their toxic byproducts are frequently poured down the drains or spilled onto the ground, potentially contaminating the soil and drinking wells.
While few studies have been conducted on the long-term consequences of exposure to these chemicals, many of the ingredients used in the manufacture of meth are highly caustic and upon exposure are believed to damage the skin, the eyes, the lungs. They do serious damage to the body.
{time} 1700
Yet, as witnesses testified before our Science Committee, we do not have the scientific knowledge to deal responsibly with former meth labs. Little is known about the risk of moving into a house that has been used as a meth lab; the best way to remediate a former lab so the building can be safely occupied; or the long-term effects on those living in the former labs, including but most specifically the children and the elderly. They are the most vulnerable.
States and localities are struggling to protect the public from the adverse effects of meth; yet there are no national guidelines on how to remediate a residential lab for reoccupation or what levels of residues are safe. States have become increasingly concerned about the cleanup and remediation issues related to meth labs, and State officials and law enforcement officials have requested assistance in dealing with the growing number of small labs in their States, particularly those located in residential settings.
H.R. 798 should go a long way toward getting States the assistance they need to protect the wider population from meth residues. The bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish voluntary guidelines for the remediation of former meth labs. These guidelines will combine the best of all existing and new information to help States and local governments respond effectively to this growing problem. The bill also requires the EPA to support research to identify persistent chemicals of concern in the use and manufacture of meth, to determine the most effective cleanup and remediation techniques, and to develop assessment and remediation guidance for States and localities based on the short- and long-term consequences of these former residential labs.
Finally, the bill enlists the National Institute of Standards and Technology to support the development of new testing methods to help law enforcement identify and quantify the risks of meth lab sites in the field.
This is a sensible, targeted, bipartisan bill, which, for a modest investment, will help our State and local governments safeguard our communities from the consequences of these toxic neighborhood labs. For this reason, H.R. 798 has been endorsed by the National Association of Counties, the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Association of Realtors, the National Multi Housing Council and the National Apartment Association, the National Sheriffs' Association, and the National Narcotics Officers' Associations' Coalition.
In conclusion, I want to thank the leadership, particularly Mr. Blunt, for enabling this bill to come to the floor, and I want to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) for his help in this matter. He heads the Speaker's task force dealing with the very sensitive subject of drug abuse prevention.
This bill will make a real difference in our communities, and I urge its passage.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine Research Remediation Act.
Chairman Boehlert has already outlined the provisions of H.R. 798. And I want to reiterate that this is a narrow bill designed to address the health and environmental problems caused by former meth labs. H.R. 798 focuses on the cleanup requirement of former meth labs, a tremendous problem facing communities across the country.
The Drug Enforcement Agency reported more than 17,000 domestic meth lab seizures last year alone. Often in residential settings, these former meth labs are contaminated not only with methamphetamine but also with other toxic residues associated with the production of meth. These chemical residues pollute the inside of a residence as well as septic and water systems. People move into these former meth labs in good faith, expecting a safe environment, but instead find a chemical waste site.
Right now there are thousands of unsuspecting families living in homes that were once illegal meth labs. Dangerous and hidden toxic substances exist in these sites, and children are the most vulnerable to the devastating long-term effects of exposure.
H.R. 798 addresses the specific problems of what type of cleanup is required to ensure that a former meth lab is safe to occupy. I want to stress that H.R. 798 is not a Federal mandate. Rather, it requires the Environmental Protection Agency to develop model, voluntary, health-
based cleanup guidelines for use by States and localities.
In addition, H.R. 798 authorizes the National Institute of Standards and Technology to initiate a research program to develop meth detection equipment for field use. This will help law enforcement agents detect active meth labs faster and assist in measuring levels of contamination in former meth labs.
Finally, H.R. 798 requires a study by the National Academy of Sciences on the long-term health impacts of children taken from meth labs and on first responders. And I also remind the Speaker that this bill passed unanimously out of the Science Committee with a number of bipartisan sponsors.
Before closing, I want to thank Mr. Calvert and Chairman Boehlert for their support and assistance in bringing this bill to the floor. I also want to thank the Meth Caucus and its co-chairs, Representatives Cannon, Calvert, Larsen and Boswell, for their strong support, as well as Congressman Souder for his help in bringing this to the floor. In addition, the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws has been an invaluable resource in developing this legislation. And, finally, Mike Quear of the Science Committee staff has done a tremendous amount of work in bringing this legislation to this point.
H.R. 798 is not a total solution to the methamphetamine epidemic. Unfortunately, there will always be people who decide to harm themselves by using and manufacturing dangerous drugs such as meth. H.R. 798 is aimed at protecting innocent people whose lives are endangered by these illegal activities.
I would urge every Member to vote ``yes'' on this bipartisan legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Sodrel), a very valuable member of the Science Committee.
Mr. SODREL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all of those who worked hard to bring this bill to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2005. I am a cosponsor of this bill, and like many of my colleagues, this bill addresses a growing concern back home in our districts needing immediate attention.
Across the country, almost every community has been touched by the meth crisis. Meth is a toxic mixture of chemicals that gives its users an incredible euphoria, followed by dramatic crashes, paranoia and often violence.
My home State of Indiana has the unenviable distinction as one of the leaders in the number of methamphetamine labs. Everyone in Southern Indiana is painfully aware of the tragic toll meth has taken on our communities. The danger from the meth crisis is great, not only because of the lives destroyed by intentional use and production, but also from unintentional contact with the drug by first responders, unwary home buyers and renters, and innocent children.
The law enforcement officials I have met with on the topic tell me meth can be absorbed through inhalation during the manufacturing process and through the skin from contaminated soil, carpeting, drywall and other housing materials. Groundwater can be contaminated with effects that last long after the meth cooks have left the area.
Few know about the long-lasting problems left by the producers of methamphetamine. These makeshift labs are leaving toxic sites around our communities, our highways and our farmland. We must act and do more to clean up this invisible time bomb.
This bill is a good first step in the process. We must know more about how to treat a meth lab when the first responders arrive on the scene, particularly after a fire explosion. We must know more about the long-term effects of meth on those who occupy these lab sites after the meth cooks are gone. We must know more about how to protect children who happen upon these toxic sites.
Mr. Speaker, I thank our leadership for bringing this bill to the House floor. I urge my colleagues to support passage of this bill to protect our police, our first responders, our loved ones from the after-effects of meth production. This assistance is especially important to our rural counties. I urge its adoption.
Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa), who was a leader in the California State Senate in fighting this meth epidemic.
(Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Science Committee, I would like to thank Chairman Boehlert and Ranking Member Gordon for introducing this legislation. I believe it is very important throughout the country.
I rise in strong support of the methamphetamine Remediation Act before us today.
While meth abuse is currently sweeping the country, causing great alarm for law enforcement and health officials, we in California's San Joaquin Valley have been fighting rampant meth abuse, production and clean up for over 20 years.
Meth is California's largest drug threat, and the Valley suffers one of the highest rates of abuse, both in production and use.
According to local law enforcement officials, over 13,500 pounds of meth have been seized over the last 3 years. In 2004, Fresno made 180 meth related felony arrests. These are significant achievements, but there is more to be done.
The San Joaquin Valley law enforcement successfully reduced the number of Superlabs seizures from 27 in 2003 to 9 in 2004. However, the need to ensure the former labs are cleaned to a safe level is key to protecting our communities.
Meth abusers are not the only victims of this destructive drug. The production of meth in meth labs and ``super labs'' leave dangerous bi-
products, putting innocent children and law enforcement into harms way.
I am a co-sponsor of this legislation because it provides communities with the guidelines to properly clean up hazardous contaminants from former meth labs and improves meth lab detection tools.
As a Member of the California State legislature, I authored a law raising penalties for trafficking, manufacturing, and sale of meth to the same level as heroin and cocaine.
I also authored legislation authorizing the forfeiture of any boat, airplane or vehicle used to facilitate the manufacture of meth.
My co-sponsorship of H.R. 798 represents my continued commitment to rid our great Valley of this devastating drug.
Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Schwarz), a very valued member of the Science Committee but also one who is particularly knowledgeable about this subject matter and has made significant contributions to the development of this package.
(Mr. SCHWARZ of Michigan asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. SCHWARZ of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Boehlert and Ranking Member Gordon from Tennessee for pushing the committee to get this important legislation out.
I have been a physician for 41 years, starting out with problems when people would come into an emergency room high on marijuana, and then we moved to opiates like heroin coming from across the sea, coming from the Asian Continent for the most part, and then cocaine coming up from South and Central America.
But now methamphetamine is made in our own backyards and particularly in areas in this country that are similar to those areas around my home in Michigan. They do not need much. They need chemicals that they can buy in a convenience store or anhydrous ammonia that people can steal from an agricultural operation someplace. It is very, very easy to make. It is very, very addictive, and it is very dangerous, both for those who use it and for those who make it.
This bill deals with the residual things that happen when methamphetamine is made in a lab out someplace usually in the country. What they are left with is a chemical soup.
For every pound of methamphetamine manufactured, 5 pounds of hazardous waste is created. For every lab that has to be cleaned up, somewhere between $8,000 and $15,000 worth of public money is expended. Children are put into foster care because their parents can no longer care for them. It is a huge public health and social problem.
And it is so easy to make. One oxygen molecule from pseudoephedrine, which one can buy over the counter in almost any store, one oxygen molecule taken away and we have methamphetamine. Numbers of arrests coming up almost exponentially in the past 5 years, and the residual in the labs is a terrible thing. It is a horrible thing, and we have to have some systematic way to deal with that residual as we are working on ways to deal with the drug itself.
This bill is a tremendously good start in that direction. And, again, I compliment the chairman, the ranking member, and members of the Science Committee on moving the ball forward, moving it down the field, to help clean up methamphetamine labs.
Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
In conclusion, let me just say that Senators Smith and Baucus have taken this exact legislation and introduced it in the other body. So, hopefully, after we pass this today, there will be time this week for the other body to also pass this legislation, get it directly to the President and get some action right away.
So, again, my thanks to Chairman Boehlert and his staff and all the Members for bringing this bill up today.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1715
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate some of the comments of my colleagues, and as chairman I have had the privilege to sort of move the ball forward. But I think it is right that we acknowledge that the ball was put in motion by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee and Mr. Calvert of California. They have worked in tandem and partnership, and we have produced a good bill worthy of this House and our mission. I am hopeful that not only will we pass on a strong bipartisan vote the measure today but that the Senate will follow through with this. Senator Gordon and Senator Baucus on a bipartisan basis are working on it and with good reason.
The problem is meth is a national crisis. It started out small on the west coast; it now affects all 50 States. The producers, as Dr. Schwarz has indicated, can buy the product over the counter, all the ingredients to this; and then they rent an apartment or rent a motel room and quickly cook the stuff to make the final product. That is what we are concerned about. What about the atmosphere that is created?
They tend to go in the more rural areas of America, bypassing the big cities, because they figure there is an undue concentration of law enforcement officials there, and maybe they can get away with it in the more rural settings. They did not reckon on guys like Sheriff Gary Howard, who has got an outstanding record of busting these guys and carting them off to where they belong, to jail.
But then what? What happens to the property? The owner of the property, totally unaware of what was taking place on their property, I understand it, we can all understand that, and then the owner probably says, well, we will clean it up, we will vacuum the floor and paint the walls and it will be okay. Wrong. Not okay. We have got to do more studies, because the residue is there, and we have got to be concerned about that. That is what this is all about, a modest amount of Federal dollars to deal with a very real and meaningful problem.
Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act. I commend Mr. Gordon, Mr. Calvert, and Mr. Boehlert for their work introducing this important legislation; and bringing it to the floor.
Meth is a scourge on our communities. It is literally a chemical cocktail, made from hazardous, caustic substances. In the process of cooking a batch of meth, those chemicals seep into the interior of a home. Often, unsuspecting, innocent families move into these houses and apartments, completely unaware that the new home was once used to cook meth. It isn't until they become ill that they learn something is wrong, terribly wrong.
DEA reported over 17,000 meth lab busts last year in 47 states. There is currently no federal standard to determine when a former lab is safe to inhabit. This bill will do that.
H.R. 798 will establish a research program to develop voluntary, health-based, model guidelines for the clean-up of former meth labs. It will establish a research program to develop meth detection equipment for use by first responders, and will require a study on the long-term health impacts on first responders and children taken from meth labs.
It is important for us to know when a house used as a meth lab is safe to inhabit again. It is important that we know the health impacts of exposure to a meth lab. This bill will do both of these things. As a Co-Chair of the Meth Caucus, I am proud to see an important meth bill like this one finally see its day on the floor. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes''.
Mr. CRAMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act.
I am a member of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamines and an original cosponsor of this legislation.
Before coming to Congress, I was the District Attorney of Madison County, Alabama.
It was in that capacity that I learned that meth is not only a danger to adults who use the drug, but also a great danger to people who live in the homes where meth is used or manufactured, especially children.
Unfortunately, the effects the exposure to meth is something that we are still learning more about.
I support today's legislation because I believe it is important for our communities to understand these residual effects.
H.R. 798 addresses the environmental and second-hand impacts of methamphetamine abuse.
It specifically establishes research programs through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to: identify the harmful chemicals associated with meth labs; discover the impact exposure to these chemicals have; and identify any residual effects of methamphetamine labs.
Additionally, this legislation creates guidelines for the clean up and decontamination of contained meth lab sites.
It also requires NIST to develop and standardize methamphetamine detection methods.
I would like to thank Congressman Gordon for his leadership in addressing this often-overlooked battle in the fight against methamphetamines.
I encourage my colleagues to approve this bill.
Mr. DICKS. Mr. Speaker, the rapid growth in the production and use of methamphetamine is very serious problem that requires the full attention of Congress. In the State of Washington and in my Congressional district in particular, meth has rapidly become the drug of choice. The police chiefs and sheriffs in my district tell me that the percentage of criminals that are also meth users has grown astronomically over that last ten years, and now it is the most frequently used drug by both violent and non-violent offenders.
This drug is highly addictive and easy to make. As most of my colleagues are aware, meth can be made with instructions that can be found on the internet and using ingredients and equipment that can be purchased over-the-counter in virtually any community. Congress must do more, in my opinion, to fight this growing menace.
The by-products of methamphetamine production are highly toxic and can linger at the point of production long after the equipment and drugs have been taken away. These by-products, even in small amounts, can irritate, burn or even kill individuals coming across a lab site well after the drug producers have gone. As a result, state and local agencies often must take extreme measures to remove all traces of toxicity from a lab site. In my own district, state environmental clean-up engineers have had to remove entire hotel rooms--including the furniture, appliances, dry wall and studs--because contamination from routine production of meth has been so extensive.
Cleaning up these toxic messes is the issue addressed by the legislation proposed by my good friend from the state of Tennessee. This bill calls upon the Environmental Protection Agency, together with the National Institute for Standards and Technology to help provide some expertise and guidance to state and local agencies on guidelines for to follow to safely and effectively clean up meth labs. I commend my friend for offering this sensible and needed proposal, and I encourage my colleagues in the House to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support H.R. 798, and I urge my colleagues to continue to work together to eradicate this extremely dangerous and locally produce drug.
Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine Remediation Act before us today.
While methamphetamine abuse is currently sweeping the country, causing great alarm for law enforcement and health officials, we in California's San Joaquin Valley have been fighting rampant methamphetamine abuse, production and clean up for over 20 years. Methamphetamine is California's largest drug threat, and the Valley suffers one of the highest rates of abuse, both in production and use.
According to local law enforcement officials, over 13,500 pounds of methamphetamine have been seized over the last three years. In 2004, Fresno made 180 methamphetamine related felony arrests. These are significant achievements, but there is more to be done. The San Joaquin Valley law enforcement successfully reduced the number of Superlabs seizures from 27 in 2003 to 9 in 2004. However, the need to ensure the former labs are cleaned to a safe level is key to protecting our communities.
Unfortunately, methamphetamine abusers are not the only victims of this destructive drug. The production of methamphetamine in labs and
``super labs'' leave dangerous bi-products, putting innocent children and law enforcement into harms way. I am a co-sponsor of this legislation because it provides communities with the guidelines to properly clean up hazardous contaminants from former methamphetamine labs and improves methamphetamine lab detection tools.
As a Member of the California State Legislature, I authored a law raising penalties for trafficking, manufacturing, and sale of methamphetamine to the same level as heroin and cocaine. In addition, I authored legislation authorizing the forfeiture of any boat, airplane or vehicle used to facilitate the manufacture of methamphetamine.
My co-sponsorship of H.R. 798 represents my continued commitment to rid our great Valley of this devastating drug. I urge the adoption of this critical measure.
Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act, a bill to address the methamphetamine abuse problem and provide support to states and local communities to fight and clean-up methamphetamine (meth) and methamphetamine labs. As a cosponsor of H.R. 798, I believe this legislation takes a crucial first step towards achieving this goal and I applaud Ranking Member Gordon for his leadership on this issue.
As a member of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine and a former law enforcement official, I am actively working with my colleagues to decrease methamphetamine use. In my home state of Illinois, there were 926 methamphetamine seizures reported and 813 methamphetamine arrests in 2004, many in my district in Southern Illinois. In order to combat meth in our communities, I believe we need a comprehensive plan to deal with the environmental, health, and law enforcement challenges facing our communities because of the growing use of this dangerous drug.
Reports show that methamphetamine use in the United States has increased rapidly in recent years. In order to assist local governments prevent and control the spread of methamphetamine, I am pleased grants, such as the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, are available for cities and counties to apply for through the Department of Justice. I will continue to assist the local law enforcement agencies throughout my congressional district to ensure they receive funding based on local needs and conditions.
Mr. Speaker, meth labs not only cost communities, they also can create a serious public health threat. It is my continued hope that by raising national awareness about methamphetamine use and providing increased federal resources to combat the methamphetamine problem, we can diminish methamphetamine use. This legislation is a first step toward that goal and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 798.
Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the ``Meth'' Remediation and Research Act as it will aid our local law enforcement, environmental regulatory, and health care officials in coping with ``meth'' abuse by providing voluntary guidelines to clean up and remediate the highly toxic chemicals that are used to make the drug.
The harmful effects of contamination are not fully recognized and first responders, future inhabitants, and sadly, children are at risk of developing health problems--this legislation seeks to remedy this problem.
I am tremendously sensitive to the problem of ``meth'' abuse due to it's widespread emergence in my district. Last year my home state of Missouri had the unfortunate distinction of being the number one state in the country, by more than double, for methamphetamine laboratory seizures. Furthermore, Jefferson County, which resides in my congressional district, has the most seizures and arrests related to
``meth'' in the state of Missouri.
I applaud the Science Committee's bipartisan leadership for addressing this growing problem and doing their utmost to move this legislation.
Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2005, which I was pleased to cosponsor originally.
I commend the dedicated work of the Science Committee in bringing this bipartisan bill to the floor today. I would also like to thank Congressmen Bart Gordon, Ben Calvert, and Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert, the bill's chief sponsors, for their leadership on this issue.
Last year, 30 methamphetamine labs--including sites where only the chemical were found--were seized in Hawaii. While I fully understand that this number is small in comparison to other states in our country, the number of methamphetamine laboratories is unfortunately growing in our more isolated rural communities like those in Hawaii's Second Congressional District.
H.R. 798 would provide federal support and guidance to our states with rapidly expanding number of closed methamphetamine laboratory sites. The bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency to develop the voluntary guidelines for use by state and local officials and would establish a research program to address the environmental effects from contamination caused by methamphetamine labs and examine ways to clean up such labs and minimize adverse health effects. H.R. 798 would also direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to conduct research into methamphetamine detection technologies and calls for a separate study by the National Academy of Sciences to examine research on the effects that methamphetamine labs have on the residents of the buildings in which the laboratories were located.
I look forward to continuing to work with any likeminded colleagues on our Congressional Methamphetamine Caucus and otherwise to provide the federal support we need in our collective fight against the national crisis of crystal methamphetamine.
Mahalo (thank you) for this opportunity to express support for H.R. 798.
Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have joined Mr. Gordon and Mr. Boehlert as a lead sponsor of this legislation--H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2005. I thank Mr. Gordon for bringing this very important issue to the Congress' attention and Mr. Boehlert for steering the bill quickly through the Science Committee. I also thank the Science Committee's Majority and Minority staffs who have diligently worked together for the last two years to develop and revise this legislation.
As a Co-Chairman of the 135-member Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine, I know the growing meth epidemic in our country shows no deference to district or party line. This is an issue everyone can agree is wreaking havoc on communities across the Nation. As mentioned by my colleagues, H.R. 798 focuses its efforts on the procedures and standards needed to decontaminate a site where a methamphetamine lab is found so our communities can more thoroughly remediate these sites. The creation of voluntary, health-based remediation guidelines for former meth labs, crafted by the Environmental Protection Agency, will protect and ensure the health of our citizens and the surrounding environment.
In my area of Riverside, California, methamphetamine production has reached epidemic proportions with many of these labs having the distinction of being labeled superlabs--these are labs that are capable of producing over ten pounds of finished methamphetamine per batch. One such lab which was seized in 2003 operated out of a barn in a rural area of Riverside County and produced over 6,000 pounds of finished product with a street resale value of over $33 million dollars. Over 4 million pounds of contaminated toxic soil had to be removed with heavy equipment, costing in excess of $226,000. Officials from the California Department of Toxic Substance Control have called this the most difficult and costly methamphetamine lab clean up in California's history.
This is a distressing issue with which my region, and quite frankly, most of America is becoming all too familiar. Our State and local agencies need all the resources and tools that we can provide them within their efforts to address this epidemic. Although we are all aware that much more needs to be done to win the fight against this devastating drug, I am convinced H.R. 789 will be a good start in that fight and will be welcomed by our communities.
I strongly encourage my colleagues to vote yes in favor of H.R. 798 today.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Aderholt). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 798, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________
Alerts Sign-up