Politics & Government

Meth Lab Cleanup Law Receives Initial Approval in Wildwood

The ordinance would require that property owners extensively decontaminate any property found to have housed a meth lab.

Wildwood, known more for large, expensive houses and less for meth production, is nonetheless taking steps to require the decontamination of all homes in the city where meth labs have been found.

The ordinance outlining the policy received preliminary approval at a city council meeting July 22. It would be administered by the city’s St. Louis County Police unit and mandate property owners clean up any verified sites to a certain level.

At a work session discussing the ordinance, Public Works Director Ryan said meth labs were “not a frequent” occurrence in Wildwood, but it would serve as a valuable tool. According to a previous analysis by Patch, there were only two reported incidents of meth labs in the city from 2004-2012.

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An article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explained some of the context behind the law, noting that how much danger the toxic residue left behind by meth labs poses and who should pay to clean it up has been the subject of debate.

Although 25 states have passed laws to address these issues, Missouri is not one of them. Festus and Crestwood already have ordinances similar to what Wildwood is considering on the books.

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Jefferson County also has a decontamination law and Sheriff Oliver “Glenn” Boyer told the Post-Dispatch that it also serves as a tool to inform families and help them avoid moving into a former meth lab, a decision they might regret.


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