Making meth can produce pounds of toxic waste. Meth cooks often pour leftover chemicals and byproduct sludge down drains or directly onto the ground. The toxic byproducts used to make meth pose long-term hazards because they can be present in soil and groundwater for years.

The houses, trailers, barns, and other buildings where meth is made must be cleaned up before any human being can safely be there again. The removal and handling of evidence and hazardous waste is very expensive and can cost thousands of dollars. In some instances, a meth lab can cause such serious contamination that the structure where the lab was must be incinerated.

To find out more information on cleaning meth labs, please visit:

Meth-lab litter

Common roadside trash or the remnants of a methamphetamine lab? News reports from across the country show it's important to be knowledgeable about what meth-lab litter looks like. Litter discarded from meth labs can be found along highways, under bridges, and in other unexpected places such as wooded areas and abandoned cars. Meth-lab litter is potentially toxic and should never be picked up or smelled.

Some common methamphetamine-lab waste items include:

• Empty packages of cold/allergy medicine
• Containers attached to tubing (usually with duct tape)
• Unused matches without the striker plate
• Kitty litter bags
• Propane tanks, coolers or thermoses that smell of ammonia
• Empty chemical containers such as alcohol, antifreeze, acetone, drain cleaner and starter fluid
• Gas cans
• Turkey basting wands
• Pyrex or glass containers with remnants of dried chemicals
• Rags with yellow and/or red stains
• Funnels, hosing and clamps

If you suspect that you've come across meth-lab litter, move away from the area and call 911. Do not smell any of the waste items, and do not open any coolers or other containers.

For more information about how to identify meth-lab litter, visit the Keep Nebraska Beautiful Web site by clicking here. Scroll down to "Methamphetamine Lab Litter and Volunteer Safety Rules."

Meth-lab litter in the news

Meth in Tennessee

From Nashville Public Radio, Nashville, Tenn.

By Todd Jarrell

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, seizure of Tennessee methamphetamine labs tripled and toxic meth-lab dumpsites increased 20-fold in just three years. The state now accounts for 75 percent of labs seized in the Southeast. Worse, 750 Tennessee children may be removed from toxic meth-lab homes this year alone.

Read the full transcript here or visit www.wpln.org to listen to the story.

Meth-lab litter poses hazard for road crews

By Charisse Jones

Volunteers and maintenance crews who clean up roadside litter are being urged to watch for potentially toxic debris discarded from methamphetamine labs.

Transportation agencies in several states and organizations that promote highway cleanups are creating brochures and DVDs to educate workers about dangers from materials used to make the drug, also known as meth or speed. Read the full story here.