MARCH 16, 2015
WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI)
Police arrested three men Sunday night after officers busted
a suspected meth lab operating in a Warwick motel.
Christopher Ferrazza, 43, of Cranston and Joseph Bennett,
54, of Warwick are charged with manufacturing of methamphetamine. Arthur
Oliveira, 50, is charged with possession of methamphetamine.
In court, it was revealed police officers knocked on the
suspects’ door at the Motel 6 on Jefferson Boulevard just after 11 p.m. Sunday
and one of the suspects let them in.
Inside, officers said they saw hypodermic needles and meth
in plain site. Police said upon learning the drug was being manufactured in the
room, officers called in the city’s special hazards unit and evacuated the
building as a precaution.
There are many different chemical "recipes" for
“cooking” meth. Each uses different ingredients. Many
chemicals used in meth labs are also common in homes. However, the
poor handling and disposal of these chemicals, as well as mixing incompatible
compounds, can create hazards. Common household chemicals used in
meth labs include flammable and volatile solvents such as methanol, ether,
benzene, methylene chloride, trichloroethane, and toluene. Other
common household chemicals include muriatic acid, sodium hydroxide, table salt,
and ammonia. Meth-related chemicals not commonly found
in large amounts in homes include anhydrous ammonia, red
phosphorous, iodine, and reactive metals. Other hazardous chemicals
can be formed during the “cooking” process.
Many chemicals may contaminate a property after cooking
meth. Carpeting, wallboard, ceiling tile, or fabric may absorb
spilled or vaporized chemicals. Furniture or draperies may become
contaminated. Outdoor disposal sites may also require evaluation and
cleanup.
Debra Fisk was one of the guests moved to another building
during the investigation. Her motel room, which she shares with her sister and
her sister’s two young children, was on the floor right above.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was like, what the heck is going
on here,” Fisk said. “And then this morning, they said around 4, everything was
all clear. We came back to our room this morning.”
Due to the chemicals used to make meth (chemicals such as
battery acid, drain cleaner, lantern fuel and antifreeze), officials said the
room was decontaminated. The receptionist at Motel 6 told Eyewitness News the business
was open as of Monday morning.
Ferrazza and Bennett were ordered held without bail
following arraignment at Kent County District Court. Bail was set at $10,000
personal recognizance for Oliveira.
The incident remains under investigation.
//---------------------------------//
Methamphetamine is a synthetic (man-made) chemical, unlike
cocaine, for instance, which comes from a plant.
Meth is commonly manufactured in illegal, hidden
laboratories, mixing various forms of amphetamine (another stimulant drug) or
derivatives with other chemicals to boost its potency. Common pills for cold
remedies are often used as the basis for the production of the drug. The meth
“cook” extracts ingredients from those pills and to increase its strength
combines the substance with chemicals such as battery acid, drain cleaner,
lantern fuel, antifreeze, a number of solvents (gasoline, toluene, etc).
There are many different chemical "recipes" for
“cooking” meth. Each uses different ingredients. Many
chemicals used in meth labs are also common in homes. However, the
poor handling and disposal of these chemicals, as well as mixing incompatible
compounds, can create hazards. Common household chemicals used in
meth labs include flammable and volatile solvents such as methanol, ether,
benzene, methylene chloride, trichloroethane, and toluene. Other
common household chemicals include muriatic acid, sodium hydroxide, table salt,
and ammonia. Meth-related chemicals not commonly found
in large amounts in homes include anhydrous ammonia, red
phosphorous, iodine, and reactive metals. Other hazardous chemicals
can be formed during the “cooking” process.
Many chemicals may contaminate a property after cooking
meth. Carpeting, wallboard, ceiling tile, or fabric may absorb
spilled or vaporized chemicals. Furniture or draperies may become
contaminated. Outdoor disposal sites may also require evaluation and
cleanup.
These dangerous chemicals are potentially explosive and
because the meth cooks are drug users themselves and disoriented, they are
often severely burned and disfigured or killed when their preparations explode.
Such accidents endanger others in nearby homes or buildings.
The illegal laboratories create a lot of toxic waste as
well—the production of one pound of methamphetamine produces five pounds of
waste. People exposed to this waste material can become poisoned and sick.
“Welfare money was not enough to pay for our meth habit and
support our son so we turned our rented home into a meth lab. We stored the
toxic chemicals in our refrigerator not knowing that the toxins would permeate
[go into] the other food in the icebox.
“When I gave my three-year-old son some cheese to eat, I did
not know that I was giving him poisoned food. I was too stoned on meth to
notice, until twelve hours later, that my son was deathly ill. But then I was
so stoned it took me two hours to figure out how to get him to the hospital
five miles away. By the time I got to the emergency room my boy was pronounced
dead of a lethal dose of ammonia hydroxide—one of the chemicals used to make
meth.” —Melanie
//-----------------------------------//
What is methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine, an illegal substance also known as
"meth," "speed," "crank," "crystal,"
and "ice," is a potent synthetic drug that is a stimulant of the
central nervous system. The effects of meth are similar to those of
cocaine. It gives the user a "rush" or intense feeling of
pleasure that lasts longer than cocaine. Meth is an increasingly popular
drug that can be injected, snorted, taken orally, or smoked. Long-term use
leads to physical dependence. Meth may give a person periods of high
energy and rapid speech. Many chronic meth users also experience severe
depression, delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, and violent behavior.
For this reason, you should never enter an active meth lab. Contact your
local law enforcement immediately. Meth is often made in makeshift
laboratories, such as rented apartments or hotel rooms. During the
production of meth, a property can become contaminated with hazardous
chemicals, and there is a strong risk of fire or explosion.
What chemicals is meth made from?
There are many different chemical "recipes" for
“cooking” meth. Each uses different ingredients. Many
chemicals used in meth labs are also common in homes. However, the
poor handling and disposal of these chemicals, as well as mixing incompatible
compounds, can create hazards. Common household chemicals used in
meth labs include flammable and volatile solvents such as methanol,
ether, benzene, methylene chloride, trichloroethane, and
toluene. Other common household chemicals include muriatic acid,
sodium hydroxide, table salt, and ammonia. Meth-related chemicals not
commonly found in large amounts in homes include anhydrous ammonia,
red phosphorous, iodine, and reactive metals. Other hazardous
chemicals can be formed during the “cooking” process.
Many chemicals may contaminate a property after cooking
meth. Carpeting, wallboard, ceiling tile, or fabric may absorb
spilled or vaporized chemicals. Furniture or draperies may become
contaminated. Outdoor disposal sites may also require evaluation and
cleanup.
What happens after a meth lab is discovered?
When a meth lab is
discovered, the local law enforcement agency and/or the Division of Criminal
Investigations, is responsible for making arrests and seizing the lab.
Evidence is removed from the site, and chemical hazard consultants are brought
in by law enforcement to remove containers of hazardous chemicals related to
the operation of the meth lab. Officials may also screen indoor
air. Law enforcement may call child protective services if children are
involved.
Once containers of chemicals and equipment related to the
meth lab have been removed, the health department evaluates the property for
long-term exposure risks from residual chemicals. Additionally, the
Department of Natural Resources may assess environmental impacts from outdoor
chemical spills or improper waste disposal.
Next steps for local health departments called in after a
lab seizure
Before entering a
former meth lab, call the local law enforcement agency and/or the Wisconsin
Division of Criminal Investigations to get information on the seizure.
Ask about: the amounts and types of chemicals used in the meth production;
whether there was evidence of solvent use, chemical spills, or unusual odors;
where the production was occurring; whether it was a low or high production
lab*; and the general level of sanitation existing on the property.
When visiting a site, especially the first time, have a
member of local law enforcement or the Division of Criminal Investigations
familiar with the case accompany you. The officer should be able to
describe the situation, and can help in the event of unexpected encounters with
occupants or visitors.
* Contact DHS for more assistance before proceeding in
cases of high production labs.
Will exposure to chemicals in a meth lab result in harmful
health effects?
While still in operation, or prior to a seizure, there is a
high risk for acute exposure to harmful chemicals in meth labs. If you
discover an active meth lab, do not attempt to enter. Contact
your local law enforcement agency immediately.
Many of the chemicals used in the “cooking” process can be harmful.
Short-term exposures to high concentrations of chemical vapors that may exist
in a functioning meth lab can cause severe health problems or even death.
For this reason, meth “cookers”, their families, and first responders are at
highest risk of acute health effects from chemical exposure, including lung
damage and chemical burns to different parts of the body. Heating
solvents inside a building can create a highly flammable situation; meth labs
are often discovered when fire fighters respond to a blaze.
After the police seize a meth lab, there is usually only a
low exposure risk to chemical residues, but this contamination needs to be
cleaned up. Also, properties often have serious sanitation and safety
issues, such as physical and electrical hazards. Sanitation issues can
complicate the assessment of chemical hazard risk. Any evaluation needs
to consider the overall condition of the property.
Residues of methamphetamine and other chemicals remaining at
a former meth lab are a concern for people who later use the property.
For this reason, local health departments should thoroughly assess the property
for hazards prior to allowing it to be re-inhabited, especially if by children.
When a meth lab is discovered in a multiple-unit dwelling,
neighbors may be concerned about their exposure to hazardous chemicals while
the lab was still active. Neighbors’ risk for exposure is usually very
low, but it is important to address any nearby residents’ concerns.
Exposures to children and child decontamination
When a meth lab is seized and arrests are made, children
residing at the meth house are taken into protective custody. Chemical
exposures to these children are a concern, and there are conflicting opinions
over the need to formally decontaminate children when there are taken into
custody. DHS concurs with the recommendations of the Scientific and
Medical Research Working Group of the National Alliance for Drug Endangered
Children. (exit DHS)
What kind of protective equipment can prevent chemical
exposure? After the meth lab has been declared safe by law enforcement for
entry, but before lab chemicals and equipment are removed, only authorized
people should enter the property. These people should wear, at a minimum,
protective eye, hand and foot covering. Disposable gloves (e.g. latex or
nitrile) and a disposable protective jumpsuit (e.g. Tyvek) are recommended.
If toxic fumes or vapors are suspected, only trained professionals should enter
and clean the building with appropriate safety equipment.
How can a meth lab be cleaned up?
There are currently
no national regulations on exactly how to cleanup former meth labs and
situations are different in each meth lab. The Department has worked
with other national and state agencies to provide the following meth lab
cleanup procedures that will protect the public and be practical for property
owners.
Sometimes scrubbing and painting is all that is necessary to
restore a former meth lab to a safe living environment. Sometimes,
contamination is so broad and extensive that the inside of the building needs
complete renovation. Across the U.S., the response to cleaning up
former meth lab properties ranges from minor cleaning to complete demolition of
buildings. Some meth labs require soil and/or groundwater cleanup as
well, depending on the extent of how and where chemical wastes were managed.
Property owners are responsible for proper cleanup and
costs.
Owners who decide to clean buildings on their own should be
aware that household building materials and furniture may absorb contaminants
and, in some cases, give off fumes. Private cleanup contractors can be
hired to conduct building cleanup as well.
Is sampling needed at former labs?
There is currently no
national or state consensus on sampling at former meth lab buildings.
Although many states have adopted cleanup standards that are based on the
lowest detection of meth, DHS currently recommends that sampling is usually not
needed. A thorough common-sense cleanup (which might include repair or
disposal of some surfaces or appliances), followed by a visual assessment and
walk-through, is just as effective at providing an acceptable cleanup for
residential buildings.
If chemicals have been dumped or spilled on the ground, in a
septic system, or in surface water, the Department of Natural Resources will
assess the need for environmental sampling. The DNR has specific guidelines
to address environmental contamination.
Should testing be done after clean up?
Testing can be done after cleanup, but at this time the
Department of Health Services does not consider it necessary. The
cleaning procedures outlined in this document, when followed correctly, should
be adequate for reducing any health hazard risk. If you are dealing with
a high production meth lab, call the Department for more assistance.
Division of Criminal Investigations will determine if the site was a high
production lab.