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Meth Contamination

When someone illegally produces or uses methamphetamines in homes, sheds, garages, trailers, or businesses—places where other people live, sleep, eat, and work—these areas are left contaminated with potentially dangerous levels of toxic chemicals.

Exposure to these chemicals may cause symptoms similar to those experienced by meth users, including nose and throat irritation, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and breathing difficulties.

As a result, the property has to be decontaminated before people can continue to use it.

The health department regulates the use and decontamination of properties contaminated by dangerous chemicals, but does not conduct testing or decontamination work itself.

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Testing

Before you purchase a property, or if you suspect your existing property may be contaminated, we recommend that you test the property for chemical contamination.

The health department does not conduct sampling or testing, but the Utah Department of Environmental Quality maintains a list of certified decontamination specialists who can.

A methamphetamine residue sample is swiped from every room in the house, as well as the ventilation system, and then submitted to a laboratory qualified to run the test. If these samples show residue over the limits specified in our regulation, the property is considered contaminated.

Many home inspectors, home building supply stores, and other companies offer test kits or services. Results from these tests may be useful as a screening tool to determine if more testing is necessary, but for enforcement purposes we can only accept results from a test performed by a certified decontamination specialist.

When a property tests above the legal limit when tested by a certified decontamination specialist, or if law enforcement refers a property to the health department after an illegal methamphetamine incident, the health department is legally required to close the property to entry until it has been decontaminated and tests below the legal limit.

Contaminated properties present a health threat to anyone who enters the structure, so they are closed to entry with a red health department placard. Only authorized decontamination personnel may enter these properties, and only for conducting a preliminary assessment or performing permitted decontamination work; no other entry is allowed at any time.

Properties that have been tested by someone other than a certified decontamination specialist may receive a green “warning” placard advising occupants that the house may potentially be contaminated, but we cannot verify the sampling methods or test accuracy, so the home should undergo further testing.

While a green placard places no legal restrictions on entry or use of the house, the health department strongly advises consulting with a certified decontamination specialist before entering or using the property.

Decontamination

The health department does not perform decontamination work. We regulate the decontamination work of certified decontamination specialists (and homeowners) to ensure the work is done appropriately.

Every property is different, and each has varying levels of contamination, so the decontamination process and requirements will be different for every property.

All decontamination processes require a:

  • pre-decontamination assessment
  • written work plan approved by the health department (including methods of disposal for contaminated materials)
  • permit to decontaminate
  • post-decontamination assessment
  • final report of work completed
  • owner's request for entry

Decontamination costs vary enormously based on the size of the structure, the level of contamination, and many other variables.

The health department charges a $400 management fee for reviewing the assessments and work plans and for other activities related to issuing a permit to decontaminate.

Property owners of record (the person whose name appears on the title as recorded in the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office) may decontaminate a property themselves, or they may choose a contractor from a list of certified decontamination specialists maintained by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.

Be advised that a property owner of record who decides to do the work personally will be responsible for complying with the same applicable local, state, and federal regulations as a certified decontamination specialist. Virtually all property owners find that it is more efficient to hire a certified decontamination specialist rather than learn how to properly carry out the work themselves, and then go through the labor of actually doing the work.

Although we maintain a list of certified decontamination specialists, the health department does not certify or endorse them; it is up to the owner to decide how best to decontaminate the property.

After a decontamination process, the property is again tested for methamphetamine residue in various locations around the home. If those test results show no residue, or residue at levels below the legal limit, the property is no longer considered contaminated and the health department removes the closed to entry placard. Removal of the closed to entry placard indicates only that the property was under the legal limit for methamphetamine residue at the time of the post-decontamination testing.

Certified Specialists

Visit the Utah Department of Environmental Quality for the list of certified decontamination specialists in Utah.

List of certified decontamination specialists