Storage Containers to Cut Cost of Meth Lab Cleanups
Brown County is one of six counties in Wisconsin to receive new methamphetamine chemical storage containers to curb the cost and wait time for cleaning up meth labs and hazardous waste from producing the drugs. Meth lab cleanup typically is handled by private contractors and can cost up to $3,000, but with these containers and specially trained officers to handle some of the cleanup, costs can fall to as little as $300, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Officers trained to clean up these sites will have access to a special suit and respirator to protect themselves, buckets in which to sort the materials, and a pole to assist with handling waste. A contractor will collect the packaged waste for disposal. The new containers are part of the Wisconsin Department of Justice's kNOw Meth campaign that aims to curb and fight methamphetamine use in the state, and they were provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The other counties receiving containers are Barron, Dane, Eau Claire, Marathon, and Vernon.