If property has been contaminated by methamphetamine and has not been cleaned by a certified contractor, the owner must give written notice before the property is sold, rented or leased.
The requirement, enacted by the General Assembly this past year, took effect July 15, according to Kim Leingang of the Kentucky Division of Waste Management.
Violation of the statue is a Class D felony, subject to a fine of up to $25,000 and/or one to five years in prison, she said.
The division’s Web site, waste.ky.gov/branches/sf/Meth.htm, lists 18 certified contractors, including two from out of state.
The nearest to Madison County are two in Lexington, two in Frankfort and one in London.
The new legislation also sets up a four-tier cleanup system based on the level of meth production and the potential contamination.
The levels range from Tier 1, a small-scale, short-term meth lab, to Tier 4, a mass production lab where large amounts of meth are produced and large volumes of wastes were generated.
Requirements and application forms for contraction certification also are available on the Web site.
Before passage of the legislation, the Madison County Health Department and local law enforcement agencies had established a protocol to government cleanup of meth sites, said Capt. Ken Clark of the Berea Police Department.
“The Madison County protocol appears to be similar to the new legislation,” Clark said.
The law sets statewide standards for contractors and clean up and establishes criminal penalties for violations.
“Chemicals and equipment used to ‘cook’ meth in illegal makeshift labs create an immediate danger of explosion and fire and leave waste that poses a threat to the health of future occupants and to the environment,” said Tony Hatton, director of the waste management division.
Based on evidence and observations made at crime scenes, the Kentucky State Police or other law enforcement will determine if the property is contaminated and make a recommendation regarding the tier level, Hatton said.
The recommendation is final unless the certified contractor provides clear justification for the property to be assigned to a different tier, he said.
Meth cleanup contractors applying for certification will post financial assurance in the amount of $100,000 for a Tier 1, 2, or 3 cleanup and $250,000 for a Tier 4 cleanup.
Current contractors will be “grandfathered in,” Hatton said.
Certification is administered by the waste management division’s Superfund Branch, which is drafting decontamination requirements for the cleanup response tiers and modifying the cleanup guidance document to comply with the revised law.
The new legislation also allows law enforcement officials to post a meth contamination notice at the request of state or local health departments. Removing a notice without authorization will be a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up a year in jail and/or a fine up to $500.
The new law also specifies that a process for appealing a posting be established.
More information about contractor certification, can be obtained from Kim Leingang with the Superfund Branch at 1-502-564-6716.
Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 623-1669, Ext. 267.
Local News
Meth cleanup law in effect
Certification required for sell, lease or rent
- Local News
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Judge weighs constitutionality of legislative redistricting
Kentucky’s deadline for filing to run for legislative seats was in flux on Monday because a judge did not immediately rule on a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of newly redrawn district boundaries.
Franklin County Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd said he expects to enter a ruling in the case by mid-week.
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Couple recovering from injuries suffered in weekend house fire
A couple was hospitalized after their home was set ablaze Sunday by a spark from a cigar, according to a county fire official.
County Fire Chief Jim Cox said the city and county fire departments were called to the home at 111 Concord Road in the early afternoon. Waco Volunteer Fire Department and the Richmond Fire Department also responded.
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A Richmond country club is no longer offering dining to members, but remains available for catered events and will be open on certain holidays.
Arlington Country Club, which has been a staple of Eastern Kentucky University for the past 40 years, laid off all dining staff late last week, according to Tom Coffey of the EKU Foundation.
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Standoff at Super 8 Motel ends peacefully
A bizarre drug-fueled standoff at the Richmond Super 8 Motel ended peacefully with no one hurt, including a child who was in the room with a man that police found wielding two knives.
About 1:53 a.m. Friday, police received a call about a man who was threatening someone with a knife at the motel on North Keeneland Drive, according to Richmond Police Chief Larry Brock.
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Trial for couple accused of human trafficking delayed
The trial for a Berea couple accused of human trafficking involving their daughters has been delayed.
Despite Monday morning television reports that the trial was beginning Monday, it was postponed because the attorneys are not ready to try the case.
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Richmond man charged with child porn possession
(Editor’s note: The following story contains graphic information some readers may find offensive.)
A Richmond man has been arrested for possession of child pornography as a result of a nearly one-year investigation by local police.
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Noted author to deliver keynote address for Black History Month
Almost a year ago, Arnold Rampersad stood in the East Room of the White House as he was presented the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama.
On Thursday, Feb. 16, the noted author will stand in O’Donnell Hall of Eastern Kentucky University’s Student Success Building to deliver the keynote address for the university’s Black History Month observance. Rampersad’s visit is also part of Eastern’s year-long Chautauqua lecture series, and the title of his talk, “Black History: The Challenge of Living with Others,” coincides with this year’s Chautauqua theme, “Living with Others: Challenges and Promises.” -
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity of Madison and Clark Counties, which has built 160 homes for people in need since 1992, is seeking applicants for partner families, according to Judy Flavell, executive director of the organization.
“We really need applicants right now,” Flavell said. “More people can qualify for Habitat homes than people realize.”
Eligible applicants must have lived in Madison or Clark counties for at least one year, have a stable income, be able to pay a modest monthly mortgage and be able to demonstrate that their current housing is overcrowded, physically substandard, too expensive, unsafe, or they are living in subsidized housing, according to Habitat.
For more information about eligibility, or to apply, call Habitat for Humanity at 625-9208 or visit its office at 1417 East Main Street in Richmond. Visit online at habitatmadisonclark.org. -
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For local adults who are experiencing memory loss related to dementia or Alzheimer’s, the Department of Occupational Therapy at Eastern Kentucky University has provided “The Place to Be” for the past two decades.
The department will again sponsor the free eight-week program on Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., beginning Feb. 9. Participants can attend Thursday and/or Friday. Applications still are being accepted (call 893-0653) for the free service, which is offered in Room 100 of the Dizney Building on EKU’s campus. -
Bible Belt towns in state consider going ‘wet’
In this Appalachian college town where socially conservative views are bedrocks of life, some people want to do what was once unthinkable: legalize liquor sales.
Supporters say passing the measure in Tuesday’s special election in Barbourville would tap a new revenue source in a place where hundreds of jobs are evaporating as one plant shuts down and another cuts its workforce in half. But from the pulpits to the courthouse square, opponents have been pressing their case that uncorking liquor sales would irreparably harm the town of about 3,200. - More Local News Headlines
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