What we don't know can hurt us. We have a Meth epidemic in our state. One of the primary goals of this web site is to educate, inform and increase the awareness of the dangers of clandestine Methamphetamine labs. Everyone is at risk and the more you know, the safer you will be. To learn more, check out the Methamphetamine pages for information on chemicals, equipment, toxic waste, and fires.

Clandestine Lab Awareness
What to Look For in Your Neighborhood
Environmental Impact
What to Look For if You're Buying Property or Renting an Apartment, House or Hotel Room
Anhydrous Ammonia and Propane Cylinders NEW

Clandestine Lab Awareness

The Task Force put together a terrific brochure about Clandestine Lab Awareness. Take a look it's loaded with great information. To view the document, click here (PDF Document)

What to Look for in your Neighborhood

There are many signs of Methamphetamine manufacturing and some are more obvious than others. These are the types of things to look for:

• Large quantities of empty cold medicine containers. Cold medicines contain Pseudo Ephedrine or Ephedrine which is the basic ingredient in Methamphetamine manufacturing
• Unusually large amounts of matches
• Strong odors of fuel or ammonia
• Windows covered up with plastic or tin foil
• Hoses hanging from windows
• Large numbers of empty chemical containers
• Chemistry equipment
• An unusual number of cook stoves or hot plates
• Accumulations of waste
• Discoloration of structure, pavement, or soils
• Bottles in a refrigerator or freezer where fluids and solids have separated

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Environmental Impact

For every pound of Methamphetamine manufactured there are five to six pounds of toxic waste produced. Manufacturers need to dispose of the waste, so what do they do?

• Drive around with it in their cars looking for a place to dump it
• Toss it alongside roads and highways
• Dump it in our parks and forests
• Bury it so it leaches into the groundwater
• Flush it into the sewer system where it works its way to the water department
• Give it to the individuals who pick up our trash
• Leave it hotels and public storage facilities for innocent victims to find

The environmental impact of this waste is devastating. Keep in mind these byproducts are flammable, explosive, toxic and in some concentrations, lethal!

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What to Look for if you are Buying Property or Renting an Apartment, House or Hotel Room

Many unsuspecting citizens rent or buy properties that were once used for clandestine methamphetamine production. The important things to know are:

• Carpets, walls, furniture, draperies and etc., may harbor gases or residue which can be harmful if not toxic
• Individuals who have rented or bought these contaminated properties have reported a number of chronic ailments
• If you move into one of these places, all of your personal belongings may become contaminated
• You can be exposed to toxins through: Inhalation (most common), Absorption, Contact with contaminated objects (like a couch), Ingestion, or from a Puncture or Scrape.

Hotels

More and more often Methamphetamine is being manufactured in our local hotels. The first series of pictures are what the North Metro Task Force have found when they've busted these labs. When checking into a hotel, here are some of the things to look for: If you find signs that the room was used to manufacture meth, leave the room immediately and report it to the hotel manager. Do not under any circumstances touch, move, or pick up anything that looks suspicious!

	This lab was in a Westminster hotel. Owners of the hotel had to spend $9,000 to clean up and decontaminate the room. One hotel manager made the following comment: "It's like getting robbed. It's going to come out of my pocket. He probably wouldn't have gotten as much as if he'd just held me up."
	This is shot of acid burns on a hotel room floor.
	This lab was found in a cabinet. Notice the smoke detector is in the cabinet rather than on the ceiling.
	The manufacturing process creates toxic gases that are potentially lethal and kitty litter is used to trap them. Check under your mattress for signs of kitty litter, trash bags or anything else that shouldn't be there. If you find anything, leave the room immediately!

Properties in General

Make sure you know what to look for when you are evaluating a place to live. For that matter if you are visiting a place unfamiliar to you, know what to look for. Take a look at our Meth Lab Locations page to see if the area or address you are interested in has been added to the list.

	Look for discoloration of surfaces. The yellow discoloration is from Iodine staining and Hydrotic acid gas generated during the "cooking" process. These gases will permeate into the walls, carpet, bedding, draperies and furniture.
	Also, look for discoloration of flooring, typically green or yellowish orange.
	Check for any discoloration on the walls. Look behind the pictures for staining. The walls in this picture should be white.

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Anhydrous Ammonia and Propane Cylinders

The Natural Propane Gas Association published a bulletin relating to the use of propane cylinders for manufacturing Methamphetamine. Some Meth manufacturers are using propane cylinders to store Anhydrous Ammonia. To understand the dangers take a look at the bulletin.

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