Meth House?

[Mark H. Roe]

Todd,
Thanks for the information. And yes it is sad that we have to have people who think that they have to be the BBS police and try to get rid of someone just because they do not like them. Keep up sending in the good information Todd and keep them broad shoulders of yours straight.

[cvowell]

Great info.
Thank you for taking the time to post it.

[Randy D. Stufflebeem]

Good stuuf Todd
Randy

[Carl H. Lederhaus]

Todd,
Thanks for the information. It helped me a lot. Most of the time I am on the other side of the fence with you but this time I need to say GREAT JOB!!!!

[W. Michael Chris]

tallen,

thanks for the post, been asked to look at/inspect several houses of late that are have possible meth connections - any test kits that are reliable.
the only one so far that i have found and seems reliable is at www.datachem.com, at a cost of $45.00 - just started looking on the board, learning as much as i can . . . again, thanks for the post, most helpful.

[Russell Spriggs]

A good reminder & info, Todd-
Most folks know I've been "methed up" about 5 times in the last 6 months . . .

I'll post this info again, here, for those who also want to get into testing; I've been meth testing for a couple years:

Mike Cooper - Structural Narcotics Detection Service -- had been in Kalispell MT but has recently moved to the Bozeman area. He does not have his website or email set up again, but can be called. He has a course you take before using his lab services, to be certified to do the sampling. I overnight samples to him, & he faxes results within 24 hrs of receiving. Call him for details & prices. I've always been happy with his service; tell him Russ sent you!
SNDS
Mike Cooper
P.O. Box 556
Belgrade MT, 59714

406-250-3970


Cheap swab tests - that change color, for immediate results - are available here. http://scottcompany.com/p-mrs.htm They don't give you any legal documentation, but are cheap enough to help you figure out WHERE to do the lab swab tests. They SAY that there will be no false positives or false negatives. When you've got a home purchase hinging on your say-so, that's a lot of liability to assume. That's why I use Mike's lab. Also, if there are OTHER drugs present (cocaine, ecstasy, etc) Mike's lab will pick them up. The 1-shot swab does not.

[Jeff Orcas]

Mike,

Beware of Meth testing. Swab and test wipes have a high error rate. If you get a false positve, announce it to a client/ seller and your found wrong you will get your *** handed to you. If you suspect a meth house, get a industrial hygenist involved and step out of the way. If you carry E&O it will not cover you for drug testing. Any incremental income is not worth it.

jeff

[Russell Spriggs]

Originally Posted by Jeff Orcas

Mike,

Beware of Meth testing. Swab and test wipes have a high error rate. If you get a false positve, announce it to a client/ seller and your found wrong you will get your *** handed to you. If you suspect a meth house, get a industrial hygenist involved and step out of the way. If you carry E&O it will not cover you for drug testing. Any incremental income is not worth it.

jeff

That goes without saying, as far as any testing goes.
No one should do any environmental sampling without the proper training.
I see more liability among HIs who use gas sniffers as an everyday tool . . .

[W. Michael Chris]

Jeff: I'm going to recommend to buyer to purchase the kit himself, I'm not sure we could get an industrial hygenist involved in this small community, I would most likely have to go to Vegas to find one.
Do I look in the yellow pages, or online? and do I google 'industrial hygenist", sorry, I'm just trying to understand where I should go next . . . and thanks for your input.

Russel: Where can I go to get the training? If here at NACHI.org, do you have a link? . . . or what course do you recommend . . . and thanks for your help as well!

I've visited and wlll do this online course tomorrow:
http://www.drugfree.org/meth360/
Wondering where to go next.

[Jeff Orcas]

Mike,

Everyone wants to help their client but I caution you on becoming involved. If the buyer resells a meth house and someone gets sick the lawyers will take the shotgun approach and target everyone involved. Juries will take one look at a sick family and award them millions. I inspected one cleaned up meth house and decided it wasn't worth the potential exposure. Today if a client discloses they are buying a meth house, I suggest they hire a competitor.

Meth is very invasive and the cleanup is tough as Colorado studies have shown. http://www.co.weld.co.us/departments...h_methlab.html

Here's another good link
http://www.tchd.org/methlab.htm

If you want to recommend an Indoor Air Quality guy
http://www.iaqa.org/member_listings/...search_new.asp


Russel Spriggs isn't that far from you, maybe he would come over and look at that homes?

Jeff

[Rodney Bailey]

Expand your services to include Meth-Screening The latest technology is here. I have had great success with the machine and bottom line it is paying for itself quickly. Use it to market to home buyers, medical field, child services, jails, hotels, commercial transportation etc.... The sky is the limit.

Check out this link : www.MethInspection.com or give me a call 888-867-5995.

I also sell the scanners and of course NACHI folks get a sweet deal!


We use the ID2 METH SCANNER to provide immediate qualitative results
of testing. The ID2 Meth Scanner is a hand-held, battery-operated, scanner for detecting all forms and concentrations of methamphetamine on virtually all surfaces, including skin, clothing, plastics, wood, metals and masonry. We can detect and verify the presence of meth at trace quantities (in the low nanogram range), without touching or disturbing the surface.



Principle of Operation – Photoemission from an optically excited surface is used to detect minute quantities of methamphetamine. The Meth Scanner uses an energy source to provide optical excitation at the appropriate wavelength and senses the resulting photoemission.
__________________
Rodney Bailey
A-1 Quality Inspection
www.InspectGA.com
706-235-1372

[James H. Bushart]

Most of the law enforcement officials that I have spoken to on this subject tell me that it is not the presence of meth that poses a danger to someone who comes across a "meth house", but the presence of the various poisons used to manufacture it. They tell me that these chemicals can work their way deep into carpeting fibers and lay undiscovered for years until a toddler crawls across on his hands and knees, puts his hands in his mouth, and (croak)...whamo.

Is your device limited to detecting only the finished product? If so, wouldn't anyone declaring a house "clear" (providing for a reasonable person to conclude that the house is declared safe) after using your device be leaving themselves open to a wrongful death lawsuit?

[Rodney Bailey]

Originally Posted by jbushart

Most of the law enforcement officials that I have spoken to on this subject tell me that it is not the presence of meth that poses a danger to someone who comes across a "meth house", but the presence of the various poisons used to manufacture it. They tell me that these chemicals can work their way deep into carpeting fibers and lay undiscovered for years until a toddler crawls across on his hands and knees, puts his hands in his mouth, and (croak)...whamo.

Is your device limited to detecting only the finished product? If so, wouldn't anyone declaring a house "clear" (providing for a reasonable person to conclude that the house is declared safe) after using your device be leaving themselves open to a wrongful death lawsuit?

Being a 21 year veteran police officer and 10 year veteran home inspector, I feel that meth screening and testing is an important service to offer clients.

I agree that the precursors to manufacturing meth are hazardous to your health and can be found almost anywhere. It would be an extremely rare case to find a home grossly contaminated with only meth precursors and not have been used for manufacturing meth.

Meth-screening and testing does involve looking for evidence of existing visual precursors, but tests for meth residue only. Any home that has been used as for manufacturing methamphetamine will test positive for its presence. The residue from a meth lab has been proven and documented by the National Jewish Medical & Research Center to be toxic to health. Meth contaminated homes are a health hazard and I would definitely want to know if I was buying one.

http://www.nationaljewish.org/about/...ndcp-cert.aspx

The ID2 Meth Scanner testes down to 100 nanograms and full beam, which is within all state cleanup level requirements. After completing the 18 point Scan of a home, I would declare the home to be free of meth contamination. No one could ever declare a home to be free of any and all hazardous substances and yes, if you did make such a statement, you would be liable.

Thanks for the response.