A Message from Representative
Whitsett
Oregon has a methamphetamine
problem. Recent legislative action
has helped reduce the incidence of
meth manufacturing labs in private
residences throughout the state, but
the problem of meth contamination of
homes still exists. Many of these
homes are now in the foreclosure
system and the legacy of meth
contamination continues on.
A House
District 56 constituent, Jonthan
Hankins and his wife unknowingly
purchased a foreclosed home in
Klamath Falls, which had not been
tested for meth residue. He, like
many homebuyers, never considered
that they might be buying a home
which would ultimately be unlivable
due to previous meth activities.
The family’s
first clue something was wrong was
when they and their young child
began experiencing strange health
problems associated with breathing,
allergies, rashes, etc. The
neighbors informed them that the
home they had purchased and
remodeled had been a meth lab
previously. Mr. Hankins purchased a
$50 kit to detect meth residue and
learned that despite extensive
remodeling and sanding of the
hardwood floors and painting the
home, testing still found 38
micrograms of methamphetamine
residue, which surpassed Oregon’s
legal limit of 0.5 micrograms by 80
fold.
House Bill
3499
seeks to establish that auctioned
foreclosed homes have a posted
notice at the time of auction,
alerting prospective buyers that
testing has not been undertaken to
determine the presence of
methamphetamine. In the case of the
Hankins' sale, testing could have
been performed for meth residue, but
how many of us would ever think to
test for meth before buying a home?
I am requesting that auctioned
foreclosed homes that cannot be
accessed before sale be posted with
a notice.
Best regards,
Representative Gail Whitsett
House District 56
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