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May 8, 2008 9:43 pm US/Mountain
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Meth Lab Cleanup Effort Follows CBS4 Investigation
DENVER (CBS4) ―
It was a strange scene this week in Lakewood as a Colorado family who had been living in their home for 6 years was displaced while cleaners dispatched by the County Health Department began extensively cleaning it.
The previous owners of the home had sold the home to Debbie Ward and her family without telling them the space had been contaminated with drugs. Now, following a CBS4 investigation, Ward and her family are aware that the home was a former meth or other drug lab and they are fearful of what health problems they may have acquired.
State law requires that homes not be lived in until the owners clean them up, but a CBS4 investigation made public on Monday found people all along the Front Range living in possibly contaminated houses. Many, like Ward, were never told their houses used to be drug labs. The list of homes with contamination histories was obtained by an open records request.
"We don't know whether it has caused any health problems with our family," Ward told CBS4. "We've got 3 children living here six and under."
Marcus, Ward's 8-month-old, has been experiencing numerous seizures. The cause isn't known yet.
The cleanup effort at Ward's home will take 6 days and will cost thousands of dollars.
The cost of the cleanup is being picked up under the state's program called Brownfields, which helps homeowners in such situations.
In another Denver metro area home that was formerly a drug lab and not properly cleaned, Georgina Miller is using space heaters to keep warm. She fears use of the ventilation system and plans to camp out on her property when it gets warmer.
Miller purchased her home before a state law took effect in January 2007 that requires disclosure to the buyer if the property had been a meth house. She found out afterwards meth had been made there, and she showed CBS4 how the contamination from the lingering drug presence can come through the walls.
"Under the law if there is failure to disclose the buyer is entitled to damages, attorney fees and possible recision of the contract," said attorney Chris Maciejewski, who represents Miller.
County Lists of Unremediated Properties Formerly Housing Clandestine Drug Labs
These lists were copied from lists obtained by various county health departments through the Colorado Open Records Act in February of 2008. They are not readily available unless they are formally requested.
Just because an address is on one of these lists does not mean the property hasn't been cleaned up. It's possible the homeowner cleaned up the property without filing the proper paperwork that would take the address off the list.
-- Boulder County Illegal Drug Labs
-- Denver Illegal Drug Lab List
-- Jefferson County Illegal Drug Labs
-- Larimer County Illegal Drug Labs
-- North Metro Drug Task Force Illegal Drug Labs
-- Tri-County Illegal Drug Labs
-- Weld County Illegal Drug Labs
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