Senate debates statewide standards for meth-lab cleanup; sponsor says certification will improve investigations

Senator Butters told the Senate that House Bill 6 would create statewide standards and a certification program for people who inspect, decontaminate or demolish properties contaminated by illegal drug labs. She said the Utah Solid and Hazardous Waste Control Board would set the rules and issue certificates after July 1, 2002, and that the measure is intended to protect evidence and keep workers and investigators safe.

Butters said the board will "set the rules" and "issue the certificates" and described the bill as needed to address the rising number of meth labs and the complexity of safe cleanup. When senators asked about the cost of certification, Butters responded the amount "has not been determined, but ... they expect it to be somewhere between $150 and $250." She also said local governments are eager to see the standards in place and that she expects people will apply for certification.

Several senators pressed the sponsor on fiscal impacts. Senator Hickman noted the fiscal note cites costs to local health departments of about $1,000 per site and an estimated 400 labs per year (roughly $400,000). Butters said she had been corrected that the state handled about 250 sites last year and that the bill does not change which entity currently pays for decontamination; under current law local health departments bear that burden.

Senator Blackcomb and others told the floor that while the standardization is appropriate, mandating uniform procedures may impose additional costs on counties that have not budgeted for them. In response, the sponsor moved that the chamber "circle" the bill to gather the outstanding fiscal and implementation information. The motion to circle carried; the bill will return to the floor after the requested information is provided.

Next steps: the Senate set HB6 aside pending follow-up on the fiscal note and implementation details.