|
Internet Versions of KELOLAND News stories about Meth in the area:
'Cleaning Up the Meth Mess'
'Inmate Speaks About Meth Addiction'
'KELOLand Woman's Struggle to Get Her Brother Off Meth'
'Breaking Free From Meth'
'Meth Orphans'
Meth in
the News
|
Originally found on
KELO 08/08/2005
It causes tooth decay, paranoia, strokes, brain damage and even death.
Methamphetamine is highly addictive. And one frightening fact about the
drug is that it's production is easy to learn, relatively inexpensive and
can be done anywhere, even in the comforts of someone's own home. Meth
labs are not uncommon. But what happens when a lab is found, the drug is
taken out of it and the Meth makers are put behind bars?
By the looks of one home near Marion, you'd never know at one time its
basement was used as a Meth lab. Cindi Newcomb says, "This is where they
were actually cooking. This was a carpeted family room and this had to be
completely gutted and the wood had to be refinished. The walls were
repainted."
Cindi Newcomb and her family used to rent the home, long before
authorities discovered what was hidden in the basement. She says, "Last
year the home that we used to live in turned out to have a clandestine
ecstasy lab. It was right here in Marion. And it was owned by our friend
and Pastor. So he asked us if we could do something about helping him get
it cleaned up."
Newcomb and her husband run Santi Kleen, a commercial exhaust cleaning
service, so they had equipment that could help in the cleanup process.
Newcomb says, "We went and did some research and found out that we could
actually clean it up. We've followed the testing that they recommended,
followed all the procedures, sent in the test results after it was all
done and it turned out to be safe and habitable."
That's how Santi Kleen transformed and now is also a Meth cleaning
business. Newcomb says, "This was washed top to bottom, I think. The
drapes were thrown out, the closets were thrown out. I mean it was pretty
much gutted down to this."
Santi Kleen has already tested 10 homes and cleaned four since this part
of the business started just a year ago. Newcomb says, "The state has been
very helpful. They actually listed us on their website. So when the police
or child protective services or some other agencies has what they think is
a clandestine lab they can go to the website and find our names there."
The Newcombs are currently in the process of being certified, which will
mean they'll soon be able to cross state lines to clean up Meth homes.
Right now, they're focusing on South Dakota. She says, "We have been to
Sioux Falls, to Stockholm, to Milbank."
Cleaning Meth homes is a very dangerous task. She says, "We could kill
ourselves if we did it wrong. These are PPE's which are personal
protective equipment. These are suits. We use respirators, we pretty much
protect ourselves."
Newcomb says the first thing she does in a Meth home is take samples from
eight to ten different spots. She says, "The process starts with using
these swabs to wipe them on a surface and then they are preserved in
methanol. They're shipped up to a lab in Washington and they're tested
within 24 hours."
The results of those tests tell the Newcombs what products they'll need to
use to clean the home. Newcomb says, "We could use anything from water to
detergents. There's a lot of science and chemistry to it. If you know what
was used than you can tell is it an acid, it is a base, you have to know
what solvents were used."
Often times, the Newcombs will have to strip the home, taking everything
out. She says, "It's a lot of elbow grease when you get right down to it."
The cleaning process is also not cheap. Newcomb says, "To have somebody
come in from Minneapolis or Denver is a lot more expensive than having a
local company come in and clean it."
Newcomb says out of state companies charge up to $10,000. Her company
charges anywhere between $2500 and $5000. But she says it's not about the
money. She says, "It's rewarding and challenging and kind of heartbreaking
all at the same time."
It's also about keeping the future homeowners or renters healthy. Newcomb
says, "I don't know that my grandchildren wouldn't end up living in a
house someday that had been used for a lab or some other purpose that
could make them sick."
If you'd like to contact the Newcombs and have them come test your home,
you can call 605-648-3371.
Amanda Spicer
© 2005 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved.
|
