[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 21]
[House]
[Pages 28122-28127]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            METHAMPHETAMINE REMEDIATION RESEARCH ACT OF 2005

  Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 798) to provide for a research program for remediation of 
closed methamphetamine production laboratories, and for other purposes, 
as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 798

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Methamphetamine Remediation 
     Research Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) Methamphetamine use and production is growing rapidly 
     throughout the United States.
       (2) Some materials and chemical residues remaining from the 
     production of methamphetamine pose novel environmental 
     problems in locations where methamphetamine laboratories have 
     been closed.
       (3) There has been little standardization of measures for 
     determining when the site of a former methamphetamine 
     laboratory has been successfully remediated.
       (4) Initial cleanup actions are generally limited to 
     removal of hazardous substances and contaminated materials 
     that pose an immediate threat to public health or the 
     environment. It is not uncommon for significant levels of 
     contamination to be found throughout residential structures 
     where methamphetamine has been manufactured, partially 
     because of a lack of knowledge of how to achieve an effective 
     cleanup.
       (5) Data on methamphetamine laboratory-related contaminants 
     of concern are very limited, and uniform cleanup standards do 
     not currently exist. In addition, procedures for sampling and 
     analysis of contaminants need to be researched and developed.
       (6) Many States are struggling with establishing assessment 
     and remediation guidelines and programs to address the 
     rapidly expanding number of methamphetamine laboratories 
     being closed each year.

     SEC. 3. VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES.

       (a) Establishment of Voluntary Guidelines.--Not later than 
     one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
     Assistant Administrator for Research and Development of the 
     Environmental Protection Agency (in this Act referred to as 
     the ``Assistant Administrator''), in consultation with the 
     National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall 
     establish voluntary guidelines, based on the best currently 
     available scientific knowledge, for the remediation of former 
     methamphetamine laboratories, including guidelines regarding 
     preliminary site

[[Page 28123]]

     assessment and the remediation of residual contaminants.
       (b) Considerations.--In developing the voluntary guidelines 
     under subsection (a), the Assistant Administrator shall 
     consider, at a minimum--
       (1) relevant standards, guidelines, and requirements found 
     in Federal, State, and local laws and regulations;
       (2) the varying types and locations of former 
     methamphetamine laboratories; and
       (3) the expected cost of carrying out any proposed 
     guidelines.
       (c) States.--The voluntary guidelines should be designed to 
     assist State and local governments in the development and the 
     implementation of legislation and other policies to apply 
     state-of-the-art knowledge and research results to the 
     remediation of former methamphetamine laboratories. The 
     Assistant Administrator shall work with State and local 
     governments and other relevant non-Federal agencies and 
     organizations, including through the conference described in 
     section 5, to promote and encourage the appropriate adoption 
     of the voluntary guidelines.
       (d) Updating the Guidelines.--The Assistant Administrator 
     shall periodically update the voluntary guidelines as the 
     Assistant Administrator, in consultation with States and 
     other interested parties, determines to be necessary and 
     appropriate to incorporate research findings and other new 
     knowledge.

     SEC. 4. RESEARCH PROGRAM.

       The Assistant Administrator shall establish a program of 
     research to support the development and revision of the 
     voluntary guidelines described in section 3. Such research 
     shall--
       (1) identify methamphetamine laboratory-related chemicals 
     of concern;
       (2) assess the types and levels of exposure to chemicals of 
     concern identified under paragraph (1), including routine and 
     accidental exposures, that may present a significant risk of 
     adverse biological effects;
       (3) identify the research efforts necessary to better 
     address biological effects and to minimize adverse human 
     exposures;
       (4) evaluate the performance of various methamphetamine 
     laboratory cleanup and remediation techniques; and
       (5) support other research priorities identified by the 
     Assistant Administrator in consultation with States and other 
     interested parties.

     SEC. 5. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CONFERENCE.

       (a) Conference.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, and at least every third year 
     thereafter, the Assistant Administrator shall convene a 
     conference of appropriate State agencies, as well as 
     individuals or organizations involved in research and other 
     activities directly related to the environmental, or 
     biological impacts of former methamphetamine laboratories. 
     The conference should be a forum for the Assistant 
     Administrator to provide information on the guidelines 
     developed under section 3 and on the latest findings from the 
     research program described in section 4, and for the non-
     Federal participants to provide information on the problems 
     and needs of States and localities and their experience with 
     guidelines developed under section 3.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 3 months after each conference, 
     the Assistant Administrator shall submit a report to the 
     Congress that summarizes the proceedings of the conference, 
     including a summary of any recommendations or concerns raised 
     by the non-Federal participants and how the Assistant 
     Administrator intends to respond to them. The report shall 
     also be made widely available to the general public.

     SEC. 6. RESIDUAL EFFECTS STUDY.

       (a) Study.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Assistant Administrator shall 
     enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of 
     Sciences for a study of the status and quality of research on 
     the residual effects of methamphetamine laboratories. The 
     study shall identify research gaps and recommend an agenda 
     for the research program described in section 4. The study 
     shall pay particular attention to the need for research on 
     the impacts of methamphetamine laboratories on--
       (1) the residents of buildings where such laboratories are, 
     or were, located, with particular emphasis given to 
     biological impacts on children; and
       (2) first responders.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 3 months after the completion 
     of the study, the Assistant Administrator shall transmit to 
     Congress a report on how the Assistant Administrator will use 
     the results of the study to carry out the activities 
     described in sections 3 and 4.

     SEC. 7. METHAMPHETAMINE DETECTION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
                   PROGRAM.

       The Director of National Institute of Standards and 
     Technology, in consultation with the Assistant Administrator, 
     shall support a research program to develop--
       (1) new methamphetamine detection technologies, with 
     emphasis on field test kits and site detection; and
       (2) appropriate standard reference materials and validation 
     procedures for methamphetamine detection testing.

     SEC. 8. SAVINGS CLAUSE.

       Nothing in this Act shall be construed to add to or limit 
     the regulatory authority of the Environmental Protection 
     Agency.

     SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Environmental Protection Agency.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Environmental Protection Agency to 
     carry out this Act $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 
     2006 through 2009.
       (b) National Institute of Standards and Technology.--There 
     are authorized to be appropriated to the National Institute 
     of Standards and Technology to carry out this Act $1,500,000 
     for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2009.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Boehlert) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 798, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 798, legislation to 
combat an insidious aspect of the methamphetamine crisis, the 
environmental consequences and the potential harm to those with no 
connection to the drugs manufacture or use. I want to thank the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Calvert) for their active pursuit and leadership on this issue, 
which is of great concern to States and localities that have to deal 
with the aftermath of busting meth labs.
  Over the past decade, methamphetamine, or meth, as it is properly 
called, has spread across the country, killing individuals, destroying 
families, and devastating communities. We are all too familiar with the 
facts of the case. The meth epidemic needs to be attacked on many 
levels. But we also have to deal with the harmful residue that meth 
leaves behind in homes and in the soil.
  Earlier this year, I visited with Sheriff Gary Howard of Tioga 
County. I was so impressed with what he told me that we invited him to 
testify before our committee. Tioga County is located in the southern 
tier of New York within my congressional district.
  Between 1989 and 1999, a decade, he indicated that there were only 
four meth lab incidents reported for the entire State of New York. 
Since then, the number of seized meth labs has risen quickly and 
steadily, from eight in the year 2000, this is the whole State, to 73 
in 2003. Of that number, most were found in Tioga County.
  Sheriff Howard described the terrible human tragedies associated with 
meth use. He had our panel in the palm of his hands, including the 
inherent danger to law enforcement from paranoid and agitated addicts. 
But he also told me, and us, that anyone who lived near or had reason 
to visit these active and former meth labs was at risk from unseen 
hazardous chemicals and dangerous byproducts of meth production. During 
the manufacture of meth, harmful chemicals are released into the air 
and distributed throughout the surrounding area. In residential 
settings, these chemicals penetrate and adhere to countertops and 
floors. They are absorbed into furnishings and carpets and walls, and 
their toxic byproducts are frequently poured down the drains or spilled 
onto the ground, potentially contaminating the soil and drinking wells.
  While few studies have been conducted on the long-term consequences 
of exposure to these chemicals, many of the ingredients used in the 
manufacture of meth are highly caustic and upon exposure are believed 
to damage the skin, the eyes, the lungs. They do serious damage to the 
body.

                              {time}  1700

  Yet, as witnesses testified before our Science Committee, we do not 
have the scientific knowledge to deal responsibly with former meth 
labs. Little is known about the risk of moving into a house that has 
been used as a meth lab; the best way to remediate a former lab so the 
building can be safely occupied; or the long-term effects on those 
living in the former labs, including but most

[[Page 28124]]

specifically the children and the elderly. They are the most 
vulnerable.
  States and localities are struggling to protect the public from the 
adverse effects of meth; yet there are no national guidelines on how to 
remediate a residential lab for reoccupation or what levels of residues 
are safe. States have become increasingly concerned about the cleanup 
and remediation issues related to meth labs, and State officials and 
law enforcement officials have requested assistance in dealing with the 
growing number of small labs in their States, particularly those 
located in residential settings.
  H.R. 798 should go a long way toward getting States the assistance 
they need to protect the wider population from meth residues. The bill 
requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish voluntary 
guidelines for the remediation of former meth labs. These guidelines 
will combine the best of all existing and new information to help 
States and local governments respond effectively to this growing 
problem. The bill also requires the EPA to support research to identify 
persistent chemicals of concern in the use and manufacture of meth, to 
determine the most effective cleanup and remediation techniques, and to 
develop assessment and remediation guidance for States and localities 
based on the short- and long-term consequences of these former 
residential labs.
  Finally, the bill enlists the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology to support the development of new testing methods to help 
law enforcement identify and quantify the risks of meth lab sites in 
the field.
  This is a sensible, targeted, bipartisan bill, which, for a modest 
investment, will help our State and local governments safeguard our 
communities from the consequences of these toxic neighborhood labs. For 
this reason, H.R. 798 has been endorsed by the National Association of 
Counties, the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Association of 
Realtors, the National Multi Housing Council and the National Apartment 
Association, the National Sheriffs' Association, and the National 
Narcotics Officers' Associations' Coalition.
  In conclusion, I want to thank the leadership, particularly Mr. 
Blunt, for enabling this bill to come to the floor, and I want to thank 
the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) for his help in this matter. He 
heads the Speaker's task force dealing with the very sensitive subject 
of drug abuse prevention.
  This bill will make a real difference in our communities, and I urge 
its passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine 
Research Remediation Act.
  Chairman Boehlert has already outlined the provisions of H.R. 798. 
And I want to reiterate that this is a narrow bill designed to address 
the health and environmental problems caused by former meth labs. H.R. 
798 focuses on the cleanup requirement of former meth labs, a 
tremendous problem facing communities across the country.
  The Drug Enforcement Agency reported more than 17,000 domestic meth 
lab seizures last year alone. Often in residential settings, these 
former meth labs are contaminated not only with methamphetamine but 
also with other toxic residues associated with the production of meth. 
These chemical residues pollute the inside of a residence as well as 
septic and water systems. People move into these former meth labs in 
good faith, expecting a safe environment, but instead find a chemical 
waste site.
  Right now there are thousands of unsuspecting families living in 
homes that were once illegal meth labs. Dangerous and hidden toxic 
substances exist in these sites, and children are the most vulnerable 
to the devastating long-term effects of exposure.
  H.R. 798 addresses the specific problems of what type of cleanup is 
required to ensure that a former meth lab is safe to occupy. I want to 
stress that H.R. 798 is not a Federal mandate. Rather, it requires the 
Environmental Protection Agency to develop model, voluntary, health-
based cleanup guidelines for use by States and localities.
  In addition, H.R. 798 authorizes the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology to initiate a research program to develop meth detection 
equipment for field use. This will help law enforcement agents detect 
active meth labs faster and assist in measuring levels of contamination 
in former meth labs.
  Finally, H.R. 798 requires a study by the National Academy of 
Sciences on the long-term health impacts of children taken from meth 
labs and on first responders. And I also remind the Speaker that this 
bill passed unanimously out of the Science Committee with a number of 
bipartisan sponsors.
  Before closing, I want to thank Mr. Calvert and Chairman Boehlert for 
their support and assistance in bringing this bill to the floor. I also 
want to thank the Meth Caucus and its co-chairs, Representatives 
Cannon, Calvert, Larsen and Boswell, for their strong support, as well 
as Congressman Souder for his help in bringing this to the floor. In 
addition, the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws has been an 
invaluable resource in developing this legislation. And, finally, Mike 
Quear of the Science Committee staff has done a tremendous amount of 
work in bringing this legislation to this point.
  H.R. 798 is not a total solution to the methamphetamine epidemic. 
Unfortunately, there will always be people who decide to harm 
themselves by using and manufacturing dangerous drugs such as meth. 
H.R. 798 is aimed at protecting innocent people whose lives are 
endangered by these illegal activities.
  I would urge every Member to vote ``yes'' on this bipartisan 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Sodrel), a very valuable member of the Science Committee.
  Mr. SODREL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all of those who 
worked hard to bring this bill to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 798, the 
Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2005. I am a cosponsor of 
this bill, and like many of my colleagues, this bill addresses a 
growing concern back home in our districts needing immediate attention.
  Across the country, almost every community has been touched by the 
meth crisis. Meth is a toxic mixture of chemicals that gives its users 
an incredible euphoria, followed by dramatic crashes, paranoia and 
often violence.
  My home State of Indiana has the unenviable distinction as one of the 
leaders in the number of methamphetamine labs. Everyone in Southern 
Indiana is painfully aware of the tragic toll meth has taken on our 
communities. The danger from the meth crisis is great, not only because 
of the lives destroyed by intentional use and production, but also from 
unintentional contact with the drug by first responders, unwary home 
buyers and renters, and innocent children.
  The law enforcement officials I have met with on the topic tell me 
meth can be absorbed through inhalation during the manufacturing 
process and through the skin from contaminated soil, carpeting, drywall 
and other housing materials. Groundwater can be contaminated with 
effects that last long after the meth cooks have left the area.
  Few know about the long-lasting problems left by the producers of 
methamphetamine. These makeshift labs are leaving toxic sites around 
our communities, our highways and our farmland. We must act and do more 
to clean up this invisible time bomb.
  This bill is a good first step in the process. We must know more 
about how to treat a meth lab when the first responders arrive on the 
scene, particularly after a fire explosion. We must know more about the 
long-term effects of meth on those who occupy these lab sites after the 
meth cooks are gone. We must know more about how to protect children 
who happen upon these toxic sites.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank our leadership for bringing this bill to the 
House floor. I urge my colleagues to support passage of this bill to 
protect our police, our first responders, our loved

[[Page 28125]]

ones from the after-effects of meth production. This assistance is 
especially important to our rural counties. I urge its adoption.
  Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Costa), who was a leader in the 
California State Senate in fighting this meth epidemic.
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Science Committee, I would 
like to thank Chairman Boehlert and Ranking Member Gordon for 
introducing this legislation. I believe it is very important throughout 
the country.
  I rise in strong support of the methamphetamine Remediation Act 
before us today.
  While meth abuse is currently sweeping the country, causing great 
alarm for law enforcement and health officials, we in California's San 
Joaquin Valley have been fighting rampant meth abuse, production and 
clean up for over 20 years.
  Meth is California's largest drug threat, and the Valley suffers one 
of the highest rates of abuse, both in production and use.
  According to local law enforcement officials, over 13,500 pounds of 
meth have been seized over the last 3 years. In 2004, Fresno made 180 
meth related felony arrests. These are significant achievements, but 
there is more to be done.
  The San Joaquin Valley law enforcement successfully reduced the 
number of Superlabs seizures from 27 in 2003 to 9 in 2004. However, the 
need to ensure the former labs are cleaned to a safe level is key to 
protecting our communities.
  Meth abusers are not the only victims of this destructive drug. The 
production of meth in meth labs and ``super labs'' leave dangerous bi-
products, putting innocent children and law enforcement into harms way.
  I am a co-sponsor of this legislation because it provides communities 
with the guidelines to properly clean up hazardous contaminants from 
former meth labs and improves meth lab detection tools.
  As a Member of the California State legislature, I authored a law 
raising penalties for trafficking, manufacturing, and sale of meth to 
the same level as heroin and cocaine.
  I also authored legislation authorizing the forfeiture of any boat, 
airplane or vehicle used to facilitate the manufacture of meth.
  My co-sponsorship of H.R. 798 represents my continued commitment to 
rid our great Valley of this devastating drug.
  Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Schwarz), a very valued member of the Science Committee 
but also one who is particularly knowledgeable about this subject 
matter and has made significant contributions to the development of 
this package.
  Mr. SCHWARZ of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman 
Boehlert and Ranking Member Gordon from Tennessee for pushing the 
committee to get this important legislation out.
  I have been a physician for 41 years, starting out with problems when 
people would come into an emergency room high on marijuana, and then we 
moved to opiates like heroin coming from across the sea, coming from 
the Asian Continent for the most part, and then cocaine coming up from 
South and Central America.
  But now methamphetamine is made in our own backyards and particularly 
in areas in this country that are similar to those areas around my home 
in Michigan. They do not need much. They need chemicals that they can 
buy in a convenience store or anhydrous ammonia that people can steal 
from an agricultural operation someplace. It is very, very easy to 
make. It is very, very addictive, and it is very dangerous, both for 
those who use it and for those who make it.
  This bill deals with the residual things that happen when 
methamphetamine is made in a lab out someplace usually in the country. 
What they are left with is a chemical soup.
  For every pound of methamphetamine manufactured, 5 pounds of 
hazardous waste is created. For every lab that has to be cleaned up, 
somewhere between $8,000 and $15,000 worth of public money is expended. 
Children are put into foster care because their parents can no longer 
care for them. It is a huge public health and social problem.
  And it is so easy to make. One oxygen molecule from pseudoephedrine, 
which one can buy over the counter in almost any store, one oxygen 
molecule taken away and we have methamphetamine. Numbers of arrests 
coming up almost exponentially in the past 5 years, and the residual in 
the labs is a terrible thing. It is a horrible thing, and we have to 
have some systematic way to deal with that residual as we are working 
on ways to deal with the drug itself.
  This bill is a tremendously good start in that direction. And, again, 
I compliment the chairman, the ranking member, and members of the 
Science Committee on moving the ball forward, moving it down the field, 
to help clean up methamphetamine labs.
  Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  In conclusion, let me just say that Senators Smith and Baucus have 
taken this exact legislation and introduced it in the other body. So, 
hopefully, after we pass this today, there will be time this week for 
the other body to also pass this legislation, get it directly to the 
President and get some action right away.
  So, again, my thanks to Chairman Boehlert and his staff and all the 
Members for bringing this bill up today.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1715

  Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate some of the comments of my colleagues, and 
as chairman I have had the privilege to sort of move the ball forward. 
But I think it is right that we acknowledge that the ball was put in 
motion by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee and Mr. Calvert of California. They 
have worked in tandem and partnership, and we have produced a good bill 
worthy of this House and our mission. I am hopeful that not only will 
we pass on a strong bipartisan vote the measure today but that the 
Senate will follow through with this. Senator Gordon and Senator Baucus 
on a bipartisan basis are working on it and with good reason.
  The problem is meth is a national crisis. It started out small on the 
west coast; it now affects all 50 States. The producers, as Dr. Schwarz 
has indicated, can buy the product over the counter, all the 
ingredients to this; and then they rent an apartment or rent a motel 
room and quickly cook the stuff to make the final product. That is what 
we are concerned about. What about the atmosphere that is created?
  They tend to go in the more rural areas of America, bypassing the big 
cities, because they figure there is an undue concentration of law 
enforcement officials there, and maybe they can get away with it in the 
more rural settings. They did not reckon on guys like Sheriff Gary 
Howard, who has got an outstanding record of busting these guys and 
carting them off to where they belong, to jail.
  But then what? What happens to the property? The owner of the 
property, totally unaware of what was taking place on their property, I 
understand it, we can all understand that, and then the owner probably 
says, well, we will clean it up, we will vacuum the floor and paint the 
walls and it will be okay. Wrong. Not okay. We have got to do more 
studies, because the residue is there, and we have got to be concerned 
about that. That is what this is all about, a modest amount of Federal 
dollars to deal with a very real and meaningful problem.
  Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act. I commend 
Mr. Gordon, Mr. Calvert, and Mr. Boehlert for their work introducing 
this important legislation; and bringing it to the floor.
  Meth is a scourge on our communities. It is literally a chemical 
cocktail, made from hazardous, caustic substances. In the process of 
cooking a batch of meth, those chemicals seep into the interior of a 
home. Often, unsuspecting, innocent families move into these houses and 
apartments, completely unaware that the new home was once used to cook 
meth. It isn't until they become ill that they learn something is 
wrong, terribly wrong.
  DEA reported over 17,000 meth lab busts last year in 47 states. There 
is currently no federal standard to determine when a former lab is safe 
to inhabit. This bill will do that.

[[Page 28126]]

  H.R. 798 will establish a research program to develop voluntary, 
health-based, model guidelines for the clean-up of former meth labs. It 
will establish a research program to develop meth detection equipment 
for use by first responders, and will require a study on the long-term 
health impacts on first responders and children taken from meth labs.
  It is important for us to know when a house used as a meth lab is 
safe to inhabit again. It is important that we know the health impacts 
of exposure to a meth lab. This bill will do both of these things. As a 
Co-Chair of the Meth Caucus, I am proud to see an important meth bill 
like this one finally see its day on the floor. I urge my colleagues to 
vote ``yes''.
  Mr. CRAMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 798, 
the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act.
  I am a member of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control 
Methamphetamines and an original cosponsor of this legislation.
  Before coming to Congress, I was the District Attorney of Madison 
County, Alabama.
  It was in that capacity that I learned that meth is not only a danger 
to adults who use the drug, but also a great danger to people who live 
in the homes where meth is used or manufactured, especially children.
  Unfortunately, the effects the exposure to meth is something that we 
are still learning more about.
  I support today's legislation because I believe it is important for 
our communities to understand these residual effects.
  H.R. 798 addresses the environmental and second-hand impacts of 
methamphetamine abuse.
  It specifically establishes research programs through the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology (NIST) to: identify the harmful chemicals 
associated with meth labs; discover the impact exposure to these 
chemicals have; and identify any residual effects of methamphetamine 
labs.
  Additionally, this legislation creates guidelines for the clean up 
and decontamination of contained meth lab sites.
  It also requires NIST to develop and standardize methamphetamine 
detection methods.
  I would like to thank Congressman Gordon for his leadership in 
addressing this often-overlooked battle in the fight against 
methamphetamines.
  I encourage my colleagues to approve this bill.
  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Speaker, the rapid growth in the production and use of 
methamphetamine is very serious problem that requires the full 
attention of Congress. In the State of Washington and in my 
Congressional district in particular, meth has rapidly become the drug 
of choice. The police chiefs and sheriffs in my district tell me that 
the percentage of criminals that are also meth users has grown 
astronomically over that last ten years, and now it is the most 
frequently used drug by both violent and non-violent offenders.
  This drug is highly addictive and easy to make. As most of my 
colleagues are aware, meth can be made with instructions that can be 
found on the internet and using ingredients and equipment that can be 
purchased over-the-counter in virtually any community. Congress must do 
more, in my opinion, to fight this growing menace.
  The by-products of methamphetamine production are highly toxic and 
can linger at the point of production long after the equipment and 
drugs have been taken away. These by-products, even in small amounts, 
can irritate, burn or even kill individuals coming across a lab site 
well after the drug producers have gone. As a result, state and local 
agencies often must take extreme measures to remove all traces of 
toxicity from a lab site. In my own district, state environmental 
clean-up engineers have had to remove entire hotel rooms--including the 
furniture, appliances, dry wall and studs--because contamination from 
routine production of meth has been so extensive.
  Cleaning up these toxic messes is the issue addressed by the 
legislation proposed by my good friend from the state of Tennessee. 
This bill calls upon the Environmental Protection Agency, together with 
the National Institute for Standards and Technology to help provide 
some expertise and guidance to state and local agencies on guidelines 
for to follow to safely and effectively clean up meth labs. I commend 
my friend for offering this sensible and needed proposal, and I 
encourage my colleagues in the House to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support H.R. 798, and I urge 
my colleagues to continue to work together to eradicate this extremely 
dangerous and locally produce drug.
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 798, the 
Methamphetamine Remediation Act before us today.
  While methamphetamine abuse is currently sweeping the country, 
causing great alarm for law enforcement and health officials, we in 
California's San Joaquin Valley have been fighting rampant 
methamphetamine abuse, production and clean up for over 20 years. 
Methamphetamine is California's largest drug threat, and the Valley 
suffers one of the highest rates of abuse, both in production and use.
  According to local law enforcement officials, over 13,500 pounds of 
methamphetamine have been seized over the last three years. In 2004, 
Fresno made 180 methamphetamine related felony arrests. These are 
significant achievements, but there is more to be done. The San Joaquin 
Valley law enforcement successfully reduced the number of Superlabs 
seizures from 27 in 2003 to 9 in 2004. However, the need to ensure the 
former labs are cleaned to a safe level is key to protecting our 
communities.
  Unfortunately, methamphetamine abusers are not the only victims of 
this destructive drug. The production of methamphetamine in labs and 
``super labs'' leave dangerous bi-products, putting innocent children 
and law enforcement into harms way. I am a co-sponsor of this 
legislation because it provides communities with the guidelines to 
properly clean up hazardous contaminants from former methamphetamine 
labs and improves methamphetamine lab detection tools.
  As a Member of the California State Legislature, I authored a law 
raising penalties for trafficking, manufacturing, and sale of 
methamphetamine to the same level as heroin and cocaine. In addition, I 
authored legislation authorizing the forfeiture of any boat, airplane 
or vehicle used to facilitate the manufacture of methamphetamine.
  My co-sponsorship of H.R. 798 represents my continued commitment to 
rid our great Valley of this devastating drug. I urge the adoption of 
this critical measure.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 798, the 
Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act, a bill to address the 
methamphetamine abuse problem and provide support to states and local 
communities to fight and clean-up methamphetamine (meth) and 
methamphetamine labs. As a cosponsor of H.R. 798, I believe this 
legislation takes a crucial first step towards achieving this goal and 
I applaud Ranking Member Gordon for his leadership on this issue.
  As a member of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control 
Methamphetamine and a former law enforcement official, I am actively 
working with my colleagues to decrease methamphetamine use. In my home 
state of Illinois, there were 926 methamphetamine seizures reported and 
813 methamphetamine arrests in 2004, many in my district in Southern 
Illinois. In order to combat meth in our communities, I believe we need 
a comprehensive plan to deal with the environmental, health, and law 
enforcement challenges facing our communities because of the growing 
use of this dangerous drug.
  Reports show that methamphetamine use in the United States has 
increased rapidly in recent years. In order to assist local governments 
prevent and control the spread of methamphetamine, I am pleased grants, 
such as the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, are 
available for cities and counties to apply for through the Department 
of Justice. I will continue to assist the local law enforcement 
agencies throughout my congressional district to ensure they receive 
funding based on local needs and conditions.
  Mr. Speaker, meth labs not only cost communities, they also can 
create a serious public health threat. It is my continued hope that by 
raising national awareness about methamphetamine use and providing 
increased federal resources to combat the methamphetamine problem, we 
can diminish methamphetamine use. This legislation is a first step 
toward that goal and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 798.
  Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of 
the ``Meth'' Remediation and Research Act as it will aid our local law 
enforcement, environmental regulatory, and health care officials in 
coping with ``meth'' abuse by providing voluntary guidelines to clean 
up and remediate the highly toxic chemicals that are used to make the 
drug.
  The harmful effects of contamination are not fully recognized and 
first responders, future inhabitants, and sadly, children are at risk 
of developing health problems--this legislation seeks to remedy this 
problem.
  I am tremendously sensitive to the problem of ``meth'' abuse due to 
it's widespread emergence in my district. Last year my home state of 
Missouri had the unfortunate distinction of being the number one state 
in the country, by more than double, for methamphetamine laboratory 
seizures. Furthermore, Jefferson County, which resides in my 
congressional

[[Page 28127]]

district, has the most seizures and arrests related to ``meth'' in the 
state of Missouri.
  I applaud the Science Committee's bipartisan leadership for 
addressing this growing problem and doing their utmost to move this 
legislation.
  Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 798, 
the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2005, which I was 
pleased to cosponsor originally.
  I commend the dedicated work of the Science Committee in bringing 
this bipartisan bill to the floor today. I would also like to thank 
Congressmen Bart Gordon, Ben Calvert, and Committee Chairman Sherwood 
Boehlert, the bill's chief sponsors, for their leadership on this 
issue.
  Last year, 30 methamphetamine labs--including sites where only the 
chemical were found--were seized in Hawaii. While I fully understand 
that this number is small in comparison to other states in our country, 
the number of methamphetamine laboratories is unfortunately growing in 
our more isolated rural communities like those in Hawaii's Second 
Congressional District.
  H.R. 798 would provide federal support and guidance to our states 
with rapidly expanding number of closed methamphetamine laboratory 
sites. The bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency to 
develop the voluntary guidelines for use by state and local officials 
and would establish a research program to address the environmental 
effects from contamination caused by methamphetamine labs and examine 
ways to clean up such labs and minimize adverse health effects. H.R. 
798 would also direct the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology to conduct research into methamphetamine detection 
technologies and calls for a separate study by the National Academy of 
Sciences to examine research on the effects that methamphetamine labs 
have on the residents of the buildings in which the laboratories were 
located.
  I look forward to continuing to work with any likeminded colleagues 
on our Congressional Methamphetamine Caucus and otherwise to provide 
the federal support we need in our collective fight against the 
national crisis of crystal methamphetamine.
  Mahalo (thank you) for this opportunity to express support for H.R. 
798.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have joined Mr. Gordon and 
Mr. Boehlert as a lead sponsor of this legislation--H.R. 798, the 
Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2005. I thank Mr. Gordon 
for bringing this very important issue to the Congress' attention and 
Mr. Boehlert for steering the bill quickly through the Science 
Committee. I also thank the Science Committee's Majority and Minority 
staffs who have diligently worked together for the last two years to 
develop and revise this legislation.
  As a Co-Chairman of the 135-member Congressional Caucus to Fight and 
Control Methamphetamine, I know the growing meth epidemic in our 
country shows no deference to district or party line. This is an issue 
everyone can agree is wreaking havoc on communities across the Nation. 
As mentioned by my colleagues, H.R. 798 focuses its efforts on the 
procedures and standards needed to decontaminate a site where a 
methamphetamine lab is found so our communities can more thoroughly 
remediate these sites. The creation of voluntary, health-based 
remediation guidelines for former meth labs, crafted by the 
Environmental Protection Agency, will protect and ensure the health of 
our citizens and the surrounding environment.
  In my area of Riverside, California, methamphetamine production has 
reached epidemic proportions with many of these labs having the 
distinction of being labeled superlabs--these are labs that are capable 
of producing over ten pounds of finished methamphetamine per batch. One 
such lab which was seized in 2003 operated out of a barn in a rural 
area of Riverside County and produced over 6,000 pounds of finished 
product with a street resale value of over $33 million dollars. Over 4 
million pounds of contaminated toxic soil had to be removed with heavy 
equipment, costing in excess of $226,000. Officials from the California 
Department of Toxic Substance Control have called this the most 
difficult and costly methamphetamine lab clean up in California's 
history.
  This is a distressing issue with which my region, and quite frankly, 
most of America is becoming all too familiar. Our State and local 
agencies need all the resources and tools that we can provide them 
within their efforts to address this epidemic. Although we are all 
aware that much more needs to be done to win the fight against this 
devastating drug, I am convinced H.R. 789 will be a good start in that 
fight and will be welcomed by our communities.
  I strongly encourage my colleagues to vote yes in favor of H.R. 798 
today.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my support for 
this legislation, of which I am a cosponsor. As a member of the Energy 
and Commerce Committee, I have participated in several hearings and 
mark-ups on methamphetamine legislation.
  One of the many unsafe effects of this drug is the environmental harm 
caused by producing it and disposing of the byproducts. Given that the 
products necessary to produce meth can be purchased at a drug store, 
and it can be produced in small quantities, many users make the drug in 
their basement, garage or kitchen, despite the health and safety risks.
  Cooking meth indoors allows toxic fumes to escape into the house and 
be trapped in furniture and walls, causing additional health concerns 
for those producing it--and especially for the family and children who 
live in these homes. The production of meth puts family members and 
children in harm's way, as there is a possibility of inhaling fumes, 
absorbing chemicals or accidentally ingesting the toxic materials used 
to manufacture this drug.
  Depending on the process used, each pound of meth produced results in 
about six additional pounds of waste which will likely end up in our 
sewer systems, in streams or rivers, or on the ground. Given that some 
of the key ingredients can be acetone, hydrochloric acid, ether and 
ammonia, disposing of this byproduct improperly can lead to additional 
health risks and environmental damage.
  I am pleased the House is taking up this legislation to address the 
negative environmental impacts of methamphetamines, and problems posed 
by clean-up and remediation by directing the EPA to develop assessment 
standards and remediation guidelines. H.R. 798 also directs studies to 
be conducted on the residual effects of methamphetamine production, and 
supports the development of methamphetamine detection testing.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleague to join me in supporting this 
legislation.
  Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Aderholt). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 798, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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