Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environmental Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee hears bill to require certification and standards for meth and fentanyl remediation
Summary
Sen. Vince Rickey said SB 201 would require certification of contractors remediating properties contaminated with methamphetamine or fentanyl residues; DEQ staff told the committee existing meth rules would need to be expanded to cover fentanyl and confirmation sampling is required after remediation.
Sen. Vince Rickey opened Senate Bill 201 by saying the bill aims to help property owners whose homes or accessory units have been contaminated with methamphetamine or fentanyl residues and to prevent unqualified contractors from offering remediation. "If we just look at the bill...a person may not represent to the public that a person is certified to assess or remediate an inhabitable property...unless the person is certified by the department under this part," Rickey told the committee.
John Sinrude, who described experience representing buyers in the Flathead Valley, testified that a contractor had performed inadequate meth remediation and that the absence of statewide licensing allowed a remediation loophole; he urged passage so property owners could obtain reliable remediation and a DEQ confirmation of cleanup.
Amy Steinmetz, Waste Management and Remediation Division Administrator at DEQ, explained that current DEQ regulations address methamphetamine, that the bill adds fentanyl to the regulatory scheme and that rulemaking would be required for fentanyl decontamination standards. She said some meth precursors and residues can be absorbed through the skin and stressed the need for trained professionals; she also confirmed confirmation sampling is standard practice after remediation.
Committee members asked whether testing, training, and contractor certification are available in Montana; DEQ said meth training exists and the framework can be expanded for fentanyl. The sponsor said Montana would be the first state to formally add fentanyl remediation to statute, if enacted.
Outcome: The committee recorded concurrence with SB 201 in executive action later the same day. The transcript shows detailed technical Q&A with DEQ on standards and sampling procedures, and proponents focused on protecting property values and buyer safety.
