Granite City, Illinois to require cleanup of meth-contaminated property

MAY 19, 2015

GRANITE CITY, ILLINOIS

The Granite City Council approved an ordinance on Tuesday night requiring owners of property where methamphetamine was manufactured to abate or clean the property.

If owners don’t do so, the city will go to court to get an order allowing the city to abate or demolish the building, vehicle or structure at the expense of the owner.

Officials say the ordinance is necessary because of the health and explosion risks at contaminated properties and the potential expense to the city if private owners don’t shoulder the cost of cleanup.

Other cities in the St. Louis region have passed similar laws in recent years. Bridgeton voted in January to take steps to make sure properties where meth has been manufactured are cleaned up.

 

The law, similar to those approved in nearby Florissant and elsewhere, provides that single-family buildings as well as hotel rooms and other areas could be closed to occupancy when officials learn that the structure has been used for methamphetamine production or storage of chemicals used to manufacture meth.

Testing would follow, at the expense of owners. In some cases, officials will be able to enter and abate the problem itself, and then seek to recover the costs as liens against the property.

Also Tuesday night, the Granite City Council approved charging sex offenders an annual $100 registration fee paid to the police department. The proceeds will be turned over the the state to compensate crime victims.

Officials say 60 to 80 sex offenders are registered in the city at any given time. A map at the Illinois State Patrol web site shows where sex offenders live.