Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007

Signed into Law December 21, 2007

Passed by the Senate December 11, 2007

Passed by the House February 7, 2007

Reported by the Committee January 24, 2007

In an effort to assist state and local authorities in cleaning up the scourge of methamphetamine use and production in their local communities, Chairman Gordon authored legislation initiating standards for meth clean-up.  This legislation passed the full House in the 109th Congress (H.R. 798) and was reintroduced in the 110th Congress.

The Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007

Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to establish within one year voluntary guidelines for the remediation of former methamphetamine labs, including preliminary site assessments and the remediation of residual contaminants.

Requires the Administrator to consider relevant standards, guidelines and requirements in federal, state and local laws and regulations, the varying types and locations of former methamphetamine labs, and the expected cost of carrying out any proposed guidelines in developing the guidelines.

States that the voluntary guidelines are to be used to assist state and local governments in the development and implementation of legislation and other policies to apply state of the art knowledge to the remediation of former labs.  Requires the Administrator to work with state and local governments and other relevant nonfederal agencies and organizations, including through the conference in section 5, to promote and encourage the appropriate adoption of the voluntary guidelines.

Requires the Administrator to periodically update the voluntary guidelines, in consultation with states and other interested parties, as necessary and appropriate to incorporate research findings and other new knowledge.

Requires the Administrator to establish a program of research to support the development and revision of the voluntary guidelines in section 3.  Requires research to identify methamphetamine laboratory-related chemicals of concern, assess the types and levels of exposure to chemicals of concern that may present a significant risk of adverse biological effects, better address biological effects and minimize adverse human exposures, evaluate the performance of various methamphetamine laboratory cleanup and remediation techniques, and support other priorities, identified by the Administrator in consultation with states and others.

Requires the Administrator to convene within 90 days and every third year thereafter a conference of state agencies and other individuals and organizations involved with the impacts of former methamphetamine laboratories.  States that the conference should be a forum for the Administrator to provide information on the voluntary guidelines and the latest findings of the research program as well as an opportunity for the nonfederal participants to provide information on their problems, needs and experiences with the voluntary guidelines.

Requires the Administrator within three months to submit a report to Congress that summarizes the proceedings of the conference, including any recommendations or concern raised and a description of how the Administrator intends to respond to them.  Requires the report to be made widely available to the general public.

Requires the Administrator to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences within six months to study the status and quality of research on the residual effects of methamphetamine laboratories.  Requires the study to identify research gaps and recommend an agenda for the research program in section 4.  Requires the study to focus on the need for research on the impact of methamphetamine laboratories on residents of buildings where labs are or where located, with particular emphasis on the biological effects on children and on first responders.

Requires the Director of NIST, in consultation with the Administrator, to support a research program to develop new methamphetamine detection technologies, with emphasis on field test kits and site detection and appropriate standard reference materials and validation procedures for methamphetamine detection testing.

Provides that nothing in this Act shall modify or otherwise affect the regulatory authority of the EPA.

Authorizes $1.75 million for fiscal years 2007 and 2008 for the EPA.  Authorizes $750 thousand for fiscal years 2007 and 2008 for NIST.

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