By Bill Mah, Edmonton Journal October 30, 2009
Realtors are calling on the Alberta government to adopt guidelines for cleaning up houses that have been used for marijuana grow ops and meth labs.
The Alberta Real Estate Association released a report Thursday by indoor air-quality consultant Karen Rollins and University of Calgary architecture professor Tang Lee. The organization commissioned the pair to develop a set of standards.
Bill Fowler, director of industry and government relations for the real-estate association, said there are currently no standards in place for air quality when drug houses return to the market for unsuspecting home buyers to purchase.
"When drug operations are busted, any issues with the plumbing, heating or electrical or the building structure all can be rectified because there are code requirements in place," Fowler said.
"The big un-known is mould, air quality and air remediation. There are no accepted standards across the province, and our members are concerned about that."
When criminals grow pot plants or cook methamphetamine, they leave behind a potentially dangerous mess of toxic moulds, chemicals and illegal changes to wiring, plumbing, venting and structural integrity.
"If it's a grow op, the temperature is raised and extra humidity is added so these conditions are good for mould to grow, and there are lots of spills," said report co-author Rollins, of Canmore, Alta.,-based Indoor Air Quality Management.
According to Calgary police, about 100 grow ops are condemned in the city each year.
In Edmonton, there have been 1,940 houses identified as grow operations since July 2007, according to police figures.
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