Fentanyl Leaves a Lethal Mess That's Costly and Complicated to Clean Up
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid so lethal that exposure to less than 2 grams of the substance can kill an unsuspecting person who thinks it's just sand. According to Laura Spaulding-Koppel, CEO of crime scene cleanup company Spaulding Decon, "People need to understand the cost of cleanup, but they also need to understand the threat of fentanyl. There is no forgiveness with it." More than 29,000 of the approximately 70,000 overdose deaths in the United States in 2017 were linked to fentanyl and other dangerous synthetic drugs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, no cleanup standards have been established to determine when a fentanyl-tainted property is safe, and the process is complicated by the fact that insurers refuse to cover the cleanup costs. Industry experts say cleanup requires a complete quarantine of the area, with workers dressed head to toe in hazmat suits using high-efficiency vacuums designed to remove tiny particles from every square inch of space. Workers then spray specialized chemicals to disinfect the area, after which testing equipment is used to ensure the fentanyl has been removed. A job takes about 10 hours on average, with the total price tag ranging from $30,000 to $50,000. The high costs are due in part to the fact that the specialized vacuums must be incinerated after cleanup.