For the relief of Alemseghed Mussie Tesfamical.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 798) to provide for a research program for remediation of closed methamphetamine production laboratories, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 798, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 798, legislation to combat an insidious aspect of the methamphetamine crisis, the environmental consequences and the potential harm to those with no connection to the drugs manufacture or use. I want to thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) for their active pursuit and leadership on this issue, which is of great concern to States and localities that have to deal with the aftermath of busting meth labs.

Over the past decade, methamphetamine, or meth, as it is properly called, has spread across the country, killing individuals, destroying families, and devastating communities. We are all too familiar with the facts of the case. The meth epidemic needs to be attacked on many levels. But we also have to deal with the harmful residue that meth leaves behind in homes and in the soil.

Earlier this year, I visited with Sheriff Gary Howard of Tioga County. I was so impressed with what he told me that we invited him to testify before our committee. Tioga County is located in the southern tier of New York within my congressional district.

Between 1989 and 1999, a decade, he indicated that there were only four meth lab incidents reported for the entire State of New York. Since then, the number of seized meth labs has risen quickly and steadily, from eight in the year 2000, this is the whole State, to 73 in 2003. Of that number, most were found in Tioga County.

Sheriff Howard described the terrible human tragedies associated with meth use. He had our panel in the palm of his hands, including the inherent danger to law enforcement from paranoid and agitated addicts. But he also told me, and us, that anyone who lived near or had reason to visit these active and former meth labs was at risk from unseen hazardous chemicals and dangerous byproducts of meth production. During the manufacture of meth, harmful chemicals are released into the air and distributed throughout the surrounding area. In residential settings, these chemicals penetrate and adhere to countertops and floors. They are absorbed into furnishings and carpets and walls, and their toxic byproducts are frequently poured down the drains or spilled onto the ground, potentially contaminating the soil and drinking wells.

While few studies have been conducted on the long-term consequences of exposure to these chemicals, many of the ingredients used in the manufacture of meth are highly caustic and upon exposure are believed to damage the skin, the eyes, the lungs. They do serious damage to the body.

Yet, as witnesses testified before our Science Committee, we do not have the scientific knowledge to deal responsibly with former meth labs. Little is known about the risk of moving into a house that has been used as a meth lab; the best way to remediate a former lab so the building can be safely occupied; or the long-term effects on those living in the former labs, including but most specifically the children and the elderly. They are the most vulnerable.

States and localities are struggling to protect the public from the adverse effects of meth; yet there are no national guidelines on how to remediate a

residential lab for reoccupation or what levels of residues are safe. States have become increasingly concerned about the cleanup and remediation issues related to meth labs, and State officials and law enforcement officials have requested assistance in dealing with the growing number of small labs in their States, particularly those located in residential settings.

H.R. 798 should go a long way toward getting States the assistance they need to protect the wider population from meth residues. The bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish voluntary guidelines for the remediation of former meth labs. These guidelines will combine the best of all existing and new information to help States and local governments respond effectively to this growing problem. The bill also requires the EPA to support research to identify persistent chemicals of concern in the use and manufacture of meth, to determine the most effective cleanup and remediation techniques, and to develop assessment and remediation guidance for States and localities based on the short- and long-term consequences of these former residential labs.

Finally, the bill enlists the National Institute of Standards and Technology to support the development of new testing methods to help law enforcement identify and quantify the risks of meth lab sites in the field.

This is a sensible, targeted, bipartisan bill, which, for a modest investment, will help our State and local governments safeguard our communities from the consequences of these toxic neighborhood labs. For this reason, H.R. 798 has been endorsed by the National Association of Counties, the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Association of Realtors, the National Multi Housing Council and the National Apartment Association, the National Sheriffs' Association, and the National Narcotics Officers' Associations' Coalition.

In conclusion, I want to thank the leadership, particularly Mr. Blunt, for enabling this bill to come to the floor, and I want to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) for his help in this matter. He heads the Speaker's task force dealing with the very sensitive subject of drug abuse prevention.

This bill will make a real difference in our communities, and I urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Sodrel), a very valuable member of the Science Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Schwarz), a very valued member of the Science Committee but also one who is particularly knowledgeable about this subject matter and has made significant contributions to the development of this package.

(Mr. SCHWARZ of Michigan asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate some of the comments of my colleagues, and as chairman I have had the privilege to sort of move the ball forward. But I think it is right that we acknowledge that the ball was put in motion by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee and Mr. Calvert of California. They have worked in tandem and partnership, and we have produced a good bill worthy of this House and our mission. I am hopeful that not only will we pass on a strong bipartisan vote the measure today but that the Senate will follow through with this. Senator Gordon and Senator Baucus on a bipartisan basis are working on it and with good reason.

The problem is meth is a national crisis. It started out small on the west coast; it now affects all 50 States. The producers, as Dr. Schwarz has indicated, can buy the product over the counter, all the ingredients to this; and then they rent an apartment or rent a motel room and quickly cook the stuff to make the final product. That is what we are concerned about. What about the atmosphere that is created?

They tend to go in the more rural areas of America, bypassing the big cities, because they figure there is an undue concentration of law enforcement officials there, and maybe they can get away with it in the more rural settings. They did not reckon on guys like Sheriff Gary Howard, who has got an outstanding record of busting these guys and carting them off to where they belong, to jail.

But then what? What happens to the property? The owner of the property, totally unaware of what was taking place on their property, I understand it, we can all understand that, and then the owner probably says, well, we will clean it up, we will vacuum the floor and paint the walls and it will be okay. Wrong. Not okay. We have got to do more studies, because the residue is there, and we have got to be concerned about that. That is what this is all about, a modest amount of Federal dollars to deal with a very real and meaningful problem.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine Research Remediation Act.

Chairman Boehlert has already outlined the provisions of H.R. 798. And I want to reiterate that this is a narrow bill designed to address the health and environmental problems caused by former meth labs. H.R. 798 focuses on the cleanup requirement of former meth labs, a tremendous problem facing communities across the country.

The Drug Enforcement Agency reported more than 17,000 domestic meth lab seizures last year alone. Often in residential settings, these former meth labs are contaminated not only with methamphetamine but also with other toxic residues associated with the production of meth. These chemical residues pollute the inside of a residence as well as septic and water systems. People move into these former meth labs in good faith, expecting a safe environment, but instead find a chemical waste site.

Right now there are thousands of unsuspecting families living in homes that were once illegal meth labs. Dangerous and hidden toxic substances exist in these sites, and children are the most vulnerable to the devastating long-term effects of exposure.

H.R. 798 addresses the specific problems of what type of cleanup is required to ensure that a former meth lab is safe to occupy. I want to stress that H.R. 798 is not a Federal mandate. Rather, it requires the Environmental Protection Agency to develop model, voluntary, health- based cleanup guidelines for use by States and localities.

In addition, H.R. 798 authorizes the National Institute of Standards and Technology to initiate a research program to develop meth detection equipment for field use. This will help law enforcement agents detect active meth labs faster and assist in measuring levels of contamination in former meth labs.

Finally, H.R. 798 requires a study by the National Academy of Sciences on the long-term health impacts of children taken from meth labs and on first responders. And I also remind the Speaker that this bill passed unanimously out of the Science Committee with a number of bipartisan sponsors.

Before closing, I want to thank Mr. Calvert and Chairman Boehlert for their support and assistance in bringing this bill to the floor. I also want to thank the Meth Caucus and its co-chairs, Representatives Cannon, Calvert, Larsen and Boswell, for their strong support, as well as Congressman Souder for his help in bringing this to the floor. In addition, the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws has been an invaluable resource in developing this legislation. And, finally, Mike Quear of the Science Committee staff has done a tremendous amount of work in bringing this legislation to this point.

H.R. 798 is not a total solution to the methamphetamine epidemic. Unfortunately, there will always be people who decide to harm themselves by using and manufacturing dangerous drugs such as meth. H.R. 798 is aimed at protecting innocent people whose lives are endangered by these illegal activities.

I would urge every Member to vote ``yes'' on this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa), who was a leader in the California State Senate in fighting this meth epidemic.

(Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

In conclusion, let me just say that Senators Smith and Baucus have taken this exact legislation and introduced it in the other body. So, hopefully, after we pass this today, there will be time this week for the other body to also pass this legislation, get it directly to the President and get some action right away.

So, again, my thanks to Chairman Boehlert and his staff and all the Members for bringing this bill up today.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Science Committee, I would

like to thank Chairman Boehlert and Ranking Member Gordon for introducing this legislation. I believe it is very important throughout the country.

I rise in strong support of the methamphetamine Remediation Act before us today.

While meth abuse is currently sweeping the country, causing great alarm for law enforcement and health officials, we in California's San Joaquin Valley have been fighting rampant meth abuse, production and clean up for over 20 years.

Meth is California's largest drug threat, and the Valley suffers one of the highest rates of abuse, both in production and use.

According to local law enforcement officials, over 13,500 pounds of meth have been seized over the last 3 years. In 2004, Fresno made 180 meth related felony arrests. These are significant achievements, but there is more to be done.

The San Joaquin Valley law enforcement successfully reduced the number of Superlabs seizures from 27 in 2003 to 9 in 2004. However, the need to ensure the former labs are cleaned to a safe level is key to protecting our communities.

Meth abusers are not the only victims of this destructive drug. The production of meth in meth labs and ``super labs'' leave dangerous bi- products, putting innocent children and law enforcement into harms way.

I am a co-sponsor of this legislation because it provides communities with the guidelines to properly clean up hazardous contaminants from former meth labs and improves meth lab detection tools.

As a Member of the California State legislature, I authored a law raising penalties for trafficking, manufacturing, and sale of meth to the same level as heroin and cocaine.

I also authored legislation authorizing the forfeiture of any boat, airplane or vehicle used to facilitate the manufacture of meth.

My co-sponsorship of H.R. 798 represents my continued commitment to rid our great Valley of this devastating drug.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine Remediation Act before us today.

While methamphetamine abuse is currently sweeping the country, causing great alarm for law enforcement and health officials, we in California's San Joaquin Valley have been fighting rampant methamphetamine abuse, production and clean up for over 20 years. Methamphetamine is California's largest drug threat, and the Valley suffers one of the highest rates of abuse, both in production and use.

According to local law enforcement officials, over 13,500 pounds of methamphetamine have been seized over the last three years. In 2004, Fresno made 180 methamphetamine related felony arrests. These are significant achievements, but there is more to be done. The San Joaquin Valley law enforcement successfully reduced the number of Superlabs seizures from 27 in 2003 to 9 in 2004. However, the need to ensure the former labs are cleaned to a safe level is key to protecting our communities.

Unfortunately, methamphetamine abusers are not the only victims of this destructive drug. The production of methamphetamine in labs and ``super labs'' leave dangerous bi-products, putting innocent children and law enforcement into harms way. I am a co-sponsor of this legislation because it provides communities with the guidelines to properly clean up hazardous contaminants from former methamphetamine labs and improves methamphetamine lab detection tools.

As a Member of the California State Legislature, I authored a law raising penalties for trafficking, manufacturing, and sale of methamphetamine to the same level as heroin and cocaine. In addition, I authored legislation authorizing the forfeiture of any boat, airplane or vehicle used to facilitate the manufacture of methamphetamine.

My co-sponsorship of H.R. 798 represents my continued commitment to rid our great Valley of this devastating drug. I urge the adoption of this critical measure.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have joined Mr. Gordon and Mr. Boehlert as a lead sponsor of this legislation--H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2005. I thank Mr. Gordon for bringing this very important issue to the Congress' attention and Mr. Boehlert for steering the bill quickly through the Science Committee. I also thank the Science Committee's Majority and Minority staffs who have diligently worked together for the last two years to develop and revise this legislation.

As a Co-Chairman of the 135-member Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine, I know the growing meth epidemic in our country shows no deference to district or party line. This is an issue everyone can agree is wreaking havoc on communities across the Nation. As mentioned by my colleagues, H.R. 798 focuses its efforts on the procedures and standards needed to decontaminate a site where a methamphetamine lab is found so our communities can more thoroughly remediate these sites. The creation of voluntary, health-based remediation guidelines for former meth labs, crafted by the Environmental Protection Agency, will protect and ensure the health of our citizens and the surrounding environment.

In my area of Riverside, California, methamphetamine production has reached epidemic proportions with many of these labs having the distinction of being labeled superlabs--these are labs that are capable of producing over ten pounds of finished methamphetamine per batch. One such lab which was seized in 2003 operated out of a barn in a rural area of Riverside County and produced over 6,000 pounds of finished product with a street resale value of over $33 million dollars. Over 4 million pounds of contaminated toxic soil had to be removed with heavy equipment, costing in excess of $226,000. Officials from the California Department of Toxic Substance Control have called this the most difficult and costly methamphetamine lab clean up in California's history.

This is a distressing issue with which my region, and quite frankly, most of America is becoming all too familiar. Our State and local agencies need all the resources and tools that we can provide them within their efforts to address this epidemic. Although we are all aware that much more needs to be done to win the fight against this devastating drug, I am convinced H.R. 789 will be a good start in that fight and will be welcomed by our communities.

I strongly encourage my colleagues to vote yes in favor of H.R. 798 today.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all of those who worked hard to bring this bill to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2005. I am a cosponsor of this bill, and like many of my colleagues, this bill addresses a growing concern back home in our districts needing immediate attention.

Across the country, almost every community has been touched by the meth crisis. Meth is a toxic mixture of chemicals that gives its users an incredible euphoria, followed by dramatic crashes, paranoia and often violence.

My home State of Indiana has the unenviable distinction as one of the leaders in the number of methamphetamine labs. Everyone in Southern Indiana is painfully aware of the tragic toll meth has taken on our communities. The danger from the meth crisis is great, not only because of the lives destroyed by intentional use and production, but also from unintentional contact with the drug by first responders, unwary home buyers and renters, and innocent children.

The law enforcement officials I have met with on the topic tell me meth can be absorbed through inhalation during the manufacturing process and through the skin from contaminated soil, carpeting, drywall and other housing materials. Groundwater can be contaminated with effects that last long after the meth cooks have left the area.

Few know about the long-lasting problems left by the producers of methamphetamine. These makeshift labs are leaving toxic sites around our communities, our highways and our farmland. We must act and do more to clean up this invisible time bomb.

This bill is a good first step in the process. We must know more about how to treat a meth lab when the first responders arrive on the scene, particularly after a fire explosion. We must know more about the long-term effects of meth on those who occupy these lab sites after the meth cooks are gone. We must know more about how to protect children who happen upon these toxic sites.

Mr. Speaker, I thank our leadership for bringing this bill to the House floor. I urge my colleagues to support passage of this bill to protect our police, our first responders, our loved ones from the after-effects of meth production. This assistance is especially important to our rural counties. I urge its adoption.