Rep. TOM CAMPBELL (R-Roy)
2nd LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT
Olympia office: 334 John L. O'Brien Building
PO Box 40600 Olympia, WA 98504-0600
Office: (360) 786-7912

Senate, House pass meth-vehicle bill

Olympia -- The Senate today passed legislation that requires decontamination or demolition of mobile methamphetamine labs, usually older cars or trucks, that are contaminated with toxic chemicals. The unanimous Senate vote (48-0) matched the unanimous House three weeks ago (94-0).

Rep. Tom Campbell, Chairman of the House Environmental Health Committee, introduced the measure this session because of the growing concern of mobile meth labs that pose significant environmental hazards because of the manufacture of methamphetamine that requires highly toxic chemicals; about six pounds of waste for every pound of the illegal drug. Meth cooks use the vehicles as 'labs' to avoid police detection.

"Unfortunately, these very automobiles are often sold to unsuspecting buyers who are not aware of the toxic chemical history of the vehicles," Campbell said. "This law will require the seller to either decontaminate the vehicle or demolish the vehicle. It also requires notification on the vehicle's title of it's contamination to protect unsuspecting buyers of the vehicle."

The Senate did add an amendment to expand the bill to other contaminating illegal drugs besides methamphetamines. The bill will now return to the House for concurrence, which Campbell said he is confident will happen quickly.

#####

Contact: Rep. Tom Campbell at (360) 786-7912 or campbell.tom@leg.wa.gov