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Washington, D.C. -- Today Congressman David Wu continued his fight against the scourge of Methamphetamine by voting for the Methamphetamine Remediation Act of 2005 (H.R. 798). Congressman Wu is the ranking member of the Environment, Technology and Standards Science Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the legislation, and an original co-sponsor of H.R. 798.
"The impact of meth on communities, families and individuals is devastating," said Congressman David Wu. "Meth not only destroys those who use it, it leaves a trail of toxic wastes wherever it is made. Sadly, the victims of this toxic waste are often children and first responders."
Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2005 components include:
· Establishment of a research program at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop voluntary health-based guidelines for clean-up of meth labs. EPA will begin by issuing current best practices and updating them as research continues.
· Establishment of a research program at the National Institutes of Science and Technology (NIST) to develop meth detection equipment with an emphasis on field test kits.
· A study by the National Academy of Sciences on the long-term health impacts of children taken from meth labs and on first responders.
The bill authorizes $3 million per year for EPA and $1.5 million per year for NIST.
H.R. 798 was unanimously approved the House Science Committee and goes to the House for further consideration.
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