'The meth lab was over ... in the den. That's actually our TV room now'
A photo of chemical debris left behind in a house used as a meth lab. By Kim Quintero KVAL News and KVAL.com staffEUGENE, Ore. -- Police hit the jackpot when they found the makings of a methamphetamine lab in the backyard of a Eugene home on Cinnamon Avenue. MultimediaRelated Content
When the landlords first revealed the home's history, Clark was apprehensive. Chemicals used to make meth can cause breathing problems, skin and eye irritation, headaches, nausea, dizziness, decreased mental function, kidney damage, anemia and even cancer. "They disclosed it right away," he said. "They showed me pictures of what the house used to look like. We went through and they showed me everything they did to it." The landlords didn't have to tell the Clarks. In Oregon, landlords and hotel managers don't have to disclose that a property was a former meth lab. Sellers do have to disclose that information to prospective buyers. And if the drug lab was never reported to authorities, residents must seek out the information themselves. Taking the time to do so might be worth it: In Lane County alone, more than 300 buildings have been declared unfit for habitation, cleaned up, and given fitness certification, meaning the state considers them safe to live in. Sandy and Joe Poirier own one of those homes. Despite the fitness certification, they said the house still needed a lot more clean up than what the state deemed acceptable. "Oh my gosh, I had to fix the tile in the kitchen, learned how to do that," Sandy said. "And painted the whole interior," Joe added.
Jake Andreason gets houses that clean -- or cleaner. The contractor, who decontaminates former meth houses for a living, lives in a former meth lab with his wife. "The meth lab was over there, in the den," he said. "That's where all the chemicals were discovered. That's actually our TV room now." Andreason does not agree with what the state says is safe for your family. "We don't want any residue, at all, left behind in someone's home," he said, "because we don't want any health hazards." What can you do to make sure the home you plan to buy or rent is safe? 1. Check the current list of homes unfit for habitation in Oregon. 2. Call the Oregon Department of Human Services at (971) 673-0195 and ask if your address has ever been deemed unfit for habitation or given a fitness certification. 3. Have the property tested for meth residue. |
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Two years later, Ethan Clark and his family moved in.
To gain a fitness certification, Oregon requires owners to make sure there are no more than .5 micrograms of meth residue per square foot in a house. That's about three grains of table salt in a football field.
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