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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Thursday, July 29, 2004

Meth lab cleanup laws proposed

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

The growing problem of crystal methamphetamine has created a public health concern for non-users because of the toxic wastes generated by ice labs.

U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo

Every pound of ice produced leaves behind six pounds of chemical waste, often tossed in trash cans, down drains or in back yards, said U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo. He said fumes and residue from the labs saturate carpets and other surfaces, exposing unsuspecting tenants to hazardous chemicals.

At a press conference yesterday, Kubo said no state or federal laws require cleanup of former ice lab sites or notification of potential tenants that a home was used to make the drug.

Kubo said he was working with state, county and federal agencies on new rules to protect the public.

"Anyone who is living in a home that was previously used as a meth lab should be extremely careful, because they could be living in a very, very contaminated and highly poisonous environment," he said.

A home at the Radford Terrace Navy housing area raided July 15 was tested Tuesday, he said, and showed "a significant presence of methamphetamine residue" after being cleaned.

A federal grand jury yesterday indicted two men on three counts of manufacturing ice and maintaining a meth lab in the home. Jimmy Yasay and Faleu Liilii were charged with three counts each and could face 20 years in prison on each count if convicted.

Kubo said both men had admitted to operating the meth lab from at least June to July 15. Yasay and Liilii have told investigators they produced two to three batches of methamphetamine a week, yielding about 3.5 grams per batch, according to the indictment.

Theresa Moss, a Navy woman and Yasay's wife, is in Navy custody awaiting charges. Kubo said it was the first known case of a drug lab on Navy property. Honolulu police shut down 11 labs last year, he said.

"How to deal with proper decontamination of a home must be addressed," Kubo said.

Reach Curtis Lum at 525-8025 or culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.