Pursuant to Ind. Code 5-2-15-3, the Indiana State Police is required to provide a Clandestine Laboratory Occurrence Report of illegal drug lab activity to the local county health department in which the property is located.
Local Health Department Role:
- Protects public health by ensuring that contaminated properties remain vacant until they are properly remediated.
- Interprets the Clandestine Laboratory Occurrence Reports to determine if orders need to be issued to vacate and remediate homes.
- If necessary, declares dwellings unfit for human habitation due to an unsanitary condition that is likely to cause sickness among occupants.
- If necessary, declares a property has unlawful conditions which require the owner to abate the conditions.
- Works with law enforcement and other professional partners to find additional sites potentially in need of abatement.
- If necessary, samples to determine if additional sites also need abatement or if questions persist about a Qualified Inspector's compliance with 410 IAC 38.
- Rescinds the declaration of unfit for human habitation once the property has been properly addressed by a Qualified Inspector and the documentation has been approved by the IDOH.
Legal Authority:
- IC 16-41-20: Chapter 20. Health, Sanitation, and Safety: Dwellings Unfit for Human Habitation
- IC 16-20-1-23: Inspection of Private Property by local health officer; consent by owner; exceptions; court order; property in which officer has interest.
- IC 16-20-1-25: Unlawful conditions; abatement order; enforcement; providing false information.
Sampling:
It is not recommended that public health officials sample sites for which there is a Clandestine Laboratory Occurrence Report for an operational lab. Assume properties having operational labs are contaminated. For those properties without a report that require sampling:
- Contact Amanda Scott with the Indiana Department of Health Chemistry Laboratories, Organic Chemistry Lab at 317.921.5580.
- Review LHD Protocol for Sampling Properties.
- Assemble a Sampling Kit
- Sample the property using the IDOH Chemistry Lab Sampling Protocol for Methamphetamine Residue and following the method: CDC NIOSH (2011). "Methamphetamine and Illicit Drugs, Precursors, and Adulterants on Wipes by Liquid-Liquid Extraction."
Interpreting the Results:
- Indiana’s final decontamination standard is ≤ 0.5ug/100cm2.
- Any individual sample exceeding the standard reflects that the property is contaminated and requires decontamination and re-testing.
Additional Resources:
- Indiana Department of Health Cleared Properties under 410 IAC 38.
- State Form 55660 Notification of Demolition
- EPA's Voluntary Guidelines for Methamphetamine Lab Cleanup
- IEHA Methamphetamine Lab Testing presentation
- IDOH Testing Protocol
- IDOH Lab Chain of Custody
- Indiana State Police Database of Clandestine Lab Addresses