Saturday, March 24, 2007

Ouch!

This story via King 5 news sure gives my profession a black eye.

SPOKANE, Wash. - Workers from the federal Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Ecology found 50 containers of cyanide and other toxic chemicals at a Spokane home this week.
Wearing hazardous waste suits, the workers toiled to clean up the site (at 5606 N. Loma Drive) today and yesterday.
Ecology spokeswoman Jani Gilbert said crews "overpacked" the drums and other containers into larger containers for transport to an approved treatment and disposal facility.
Gilbert said investigators found the 50 containers in a detached garage. A few others were stored in a backyard behind the garage. Most of the containers were 55-gallon drums containing cyanide and various corrosive and flammable materials.
Gilbert said the source of the contaminants is under investigation.
Homeowner Genevieve Webb said her son had stored the barrels and she wasn't concerned about them.
Sources told The Spokesman-Review newspaper that the barrels were waste from a methamphetamine laboratory cleanup business.
There was no evidence that any of the containers leaked at the home. Environmental officials say at inspection showed the home was safe.
Neighbors were surprised by the cleanup operation on the quiet northwest Spokane street. Stephanie McConahy said she had seen the barrels in the back yard, but assumed they were empty.

Yes and I've done a few drug lab clean ups in my career. This is embarrassing.

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