ABSTRACT
A meth lab is a clandestine drug lab that is a collection of materials and ingredients used to make crystal meth and are made mostly from common household ingredients. These ingredients are mixed and cooked together to make meth, and the harmful chemical mixtures can remain on household surfaces for months or years later. There may be health effects in people exposed to chemicals to make meth before, during and after the meth-making process. Therefore, each meth lab is a potential hazardous waste site, requiring evaluation, and possibly cleanup, by hazardous waste professionals. Meth labs have been discovered in hotel and motel rooms, restaurants, barns, private homes and apartments, storage facilities, fields, and vacant buildings and vehicles. Chemical reactions depend on the substances used and cause the process to be hazardous, frequently resulting in chemical fires, explosions, and the release of toxic gases.
