Fentanyl Cleanup
After domestic production of methamphetamine increased significantly in the 1990s, federal and state authorities took action to address the hazardous conditions left behind in meth labs. Congress passed legislation directing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish meth decontamination guidelines based on the best available scientific knowledge. Today, the synthetic opioid fentanyl and its analogues cause over twice as many overdose deaths in the United States yearly as meth. Its effects, though similar to morphine or heroin, are 50 to 100 times more powerful, making even small amounts dangerous to users and bystanders alike. Despite this, as of 2021, the scale of federal and state action on fentanyl cleanup is not comparable to that historically taken against meth labs. Fentanyl is a relative newcomer to the scene of illicit drugs in the United States, so scientific authorities and policymakers have had less time to address the issue of clean up. In the interim, the lack of authoritative guidance and policy creates risks, as outlined in this fact sheet....
