Homes once meth labs remain hazardous

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Authorities are shutting down meth labs in record numbers in New York State, but many of those homes go back on the market without the buyer ever knowing the dangers the home once held.

So far this year, 119 meth labs have been broken up in NYS, a new state record, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The busts leave a lot of empty homes that are potentially filled with dangerous chemicals and residues.

Methamphetamine has quickly become one of the most dangerous and easiest drugs to obtain and become addicted to in the United States. The internet and mass media have been major contributors, according to the DEA.

Supervisory Special Agent Michelle Spahn said, "It's a quick high, it's very cheap to make and the process is easy to conceal. And I only see the problem getting worse as the years progress."

Meth labs are popping up in places you may not expect. Crown View Terrace in Hamburg seems to be any normal neighborhood with basketball courts nearby. But a house there was the latest to be seized and raided by the DEA.

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The lab was happening right down the street from Steve Mikac, the former Assistant Chief of Police of the Town of Hamburg.

"Boy you never can tell. I guess any neighborhood in the good ol' U.S.A., this stuff can happen," Mikac said. "You think, like I said, 'Not in my neighborhood.' But sure enough, come to find out, that's exactly what was going on."

But what happens to a house after the drug operation is busted? The DEA's job is to find, seize and remove hazardous materials,. but not to clean up the chemical residues left behind.

The responsibility of remediation, in order to ensure that there is no contamination in the residence and that the residence can be inhabited once again, is the sole responsibility lies with the homeowner.

Many times the property is sold, or foreclosed on.

Throughout the last few years, many reports from across the country claim that homeowners bought a new home only to later find out it was a former meth lab. In many of these cases, the new tenants reported serious illness and health problems due to the leftover chemicals.

"Maybe there [are] some allergies or other asthmatic symptoms or breathing problems that especially children might be having. The best way is to hire an industrial hygienist that can come out an conduct that assessment," Spahn said.

That type of air-check and cleanup can run anywhere from a few-thousand to several tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the size of the property.

But how does something like this happen in the first place?

There are 23 states that require full disclosure by a seller to specifically state if the house was a meth lab. New York is not one of them.

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Property lawyer Bob Friedman said, "Sellers are required to disclose various problems they may of had with the house. But there's nothing specifically regarding meth labs."

According to Friedman, it's up to the buyer to do their own investigation. Legal action after the fact could be costly and difficult to prove.

"To have to come back and sue the seller, it's very expensive. You have to have expert witnesses. So you have to do your homework in advance and have someone inspect the property for you," Friedman said.

He also says realtors may be ethically obligated to tell a buyer about the home's history, but are also not legally bound to do so.

And what about renters? It is a landlord's responsibility to clean a property. But if a meth lab were inside an apartment, the landlord also is not required to disclose that information to the new tenant.

Unfortunately, the DEA's national registry of meth busts is not up-to-date for this year, but if you would like to look at meth labs raided in previous years, you can follow this link.