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Home My WebLink About12430 W. 44th Phase II Methamphetamine Report i Preliminary Assessment Report For Methamphetamine Investigations 12430 West 44th Avenue Wheat Ridge, Colorado Prepared for City of Wheat Ridge Community Development Department Municipal Building, 7500 W. 29th Ave Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033 Prepared by 12295 W. 48th Avenue, Unit A Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033 (303) 980‐4101 February 2016 Preliminary Assessment Report for Methamphetamine 12430 W. 44th Avenue Wheat Ridge, Colorado 1 Executive Summary RMC Consultants, Inc. (RMC) with support from Foothills Environmental, Inc. has prepared this Preliminary Assessment Report for the residential property located at 12430 West 44th Avenue in Wheat Ridge, Jefferson County, Colorado, hereafter referred to as the “subject property” in accordance with the Field Sampling Plan for 12430 West 44th Avenue Wheat Ridge, Colorado, dated February 5, 2016. A Preliminary Assessment (i.e., Phase II Environmental Site Assessment) was recommended for the subject property based one historic recognized environmental condition (HREC) identified for the subject property as a result of a Meth Lab/Clandestine Drug Laboratory listing. The subject property methamphetamine survey was conducted by Mr. Andre Gonzalez of Foothills Environmental, Inc. on February 9, 2016. A summary of the findings of the Preliminary Assessment is provided below. Details of the subject property assessment have not been fully developed in this summary, and the attached report must be read in its entirety for a comprehensive understanding of the items contained herein. This report is for informational purposes only, is limited in scope due access limitations and possible unintentional obscuration, and is not intended to be used as a bid document for removal, repair, encapsulation, enclosure, or operation and management of materials contaminated by methamphetamine. The subject property consists of approximately 0.75 acres on the south side of West 44th Avenue. A narrow paved roadway named Wright Street (a short dead‐end street) extends along the eastern edge of the property and provides access to the driveway for the property. The 0.75‐acre subject property is improved with a single‐story wood‐frame house and detached garage. The owner, Mr. Rick Eads, had been renting the residence to a third party until November 2015. The garage is used for storage of supplies and equipment related to his painting business. The date of original construction is 1941. The sampling was limited in scope due to the fact that the pump house was inaccessible. No destructive sampling was performed. Only readily accessible areas associated of the structures were inspected for methamphetamine contamination. Inspection of underground conduit, electrical panels, electrical wire insulation, instruments or other appurtenances were not performed. The owner initially indicated that the interior walls had not been painted since it was in their possession, which influenced the sampling methodology. However, later contradictory statements were provided. Wipe samples were collected of suspect materials. The samples were moistened with isopropanol prior to collection. However, if a sample area had been painted after contamination, methanol would have been a more effective moistening agent. This methamphetamine inspection was in general accordance to the guidelines published as the 6 CCR 1014‐3 Part 1, Section 6.2.7 through 6.2.11, Cleanup of Methamphetamine‐Affected Properties (CDPHE, 2014). Wipe samples collected were analyzed utilizing the NIOSH Method 9111, Methamphetamine on Wipes by Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (Issue 1, October 17, 2011), or equivalent. Methamphetamine was found in a number of areas of the buildings in several types of building materials. Predominantly:  Garage – wall panel and work bench  Kitchen – wall panel and drywall ceiling Preliminary Assessment Report for Methamphetamine 12430 W. 44th Avenue Wheat Ridge, Colorado 2  Kitchen – stove hood  Living room – walls  Inside heat chamber of gas stove  Attic Methamphetamine sample concentrations collected from the garage, kitchen, and attic all exceeded the CDPHE cleanup standard of 0.5 µg / 100cm2. Because isopropanol was used as the moistening agent, due to misinformation, it is assumed that all areas exceed the CDPHE cleanup standard until they are sampled with methanol as the moistening agent. Recommended actions are provided in the attached report and it should be read in its entirety. To summarize, recommendations include:  The residence, pump house, and garage and all the personal items and appliances inside them are considered contaminated and cannot be removed except by personnel licensed and trained to remove such items.  No personnel are allowed to enter the residence including realtors, maintenance personnel, or others without proper training.  All decontamination and cleaning must be performed by a licensed methamphetamine contractor in Colorado with certified workers. A Clearance Assessment will be required once a contractor has decontaminated the affected areas. This Preliminary Assessment was initiated for the residential property located at 12430 West 44th Avenue in Wheat Ridge, Jefferson County, Colorado, (subject property), performed in accordance with the approved Field Sampling Plan dated February 5, 2016. Any exceptions to, or deletions from, this practice are described in Attachment 1 of this report. The attached report must be read in its entirety. Preliminary Assessment Report for Methamphetamine 12430 W. 44th Avenue Wheat Ridge, Colorado 3 ATTACHMENT 1 Preliminary Assessment Report 12430 West 44th Avenue Wheat Ridge, Colorado PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT REPORT Property Location 12430 West 44th Avenue Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 Prepared For RMC Consultants, Inc. 12295 West 48th Avenue Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 Prepared By Foothills Environmental, Inc. 11099 West 8th Avenue Golden, CO 80401 February 22, 2016 FEI Project Number: ME16011 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Property Description ............................................................................................................................. 1 2 Summary of Law Enforcement Reports ................................................................................................ 2 3 Structural Features ............................................................................................................................... 2 4 Outdoor Area ........................................................................................................................................ 3 5 Manufacturing method ......................................................................................................................... 3 6 Identified Chemicals ............................................................................................................................. 3 7 Identified Contamination Areas ............................................................................................................ 3 8 Sample Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 4 9 Sample Locations .................................................................................................................................. 5 10 Photos ................................................................................................................................................... 7 Appendix A – Analytical Results Appendix B – Inspector’s Certification Appendix C – Police Report 1 1 PROPERTY DESCRIPTION Property Address: 12430 West 44th Avenue Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 Number of Structures: 3 – Single Story Residence, Pump Shed and Detached Garage Parcel Identification: 39-202-00-017 Legal Description: Owner: 44th Opportunity I, LLC The subject property was built in 1941 and is located at 12430 West 44th Avenue in Wheat Ridge, CO (Residence). The structure is a single-story ranch residence on the corner of 44th Avenue on the north and Wright Street. The residence is located in an area mixed with similar residences and also commercial properties. A gas stove located in the living room is the heat source with no furnace or ducting present. The residence has an attic which is accessed through a small hatch in the bedroom closet. The residence has a kitchen, living room, one bedroom and one bathroom. The construction is slab on grade with no crawl space present. A small pump house abuts the residence on the southwest corner. The pump house was not accessible (locked) at the time of this Preliminary Assessment (PA) and therefore not inspected. A two-car detached garage is located to the southwest of the residence. The residence has approximately 624 square feet of finished living space with an additional 484 square feet of garage space. The residence was vacant at the time of this PA with no personal property present, except for a stove and refrigerator. According to the current owner, the property was purchased in 2006. The garage has primarily been used for storage of equipment, building supplies and paint. The residence was occupied by the owner’s daughter until November 4, 2015. The owner also stated that the residence interior had not been painted since they assumed ownership. The residence is connected to city sewer and water. The following map depicts the property location: Key Section Township Range Quarter Section 025 20 3 69 NW 2 The sampling for this Preliminary Assessment was conducted on February 9th, 2016. The sampling was conducted in accordance with 6 CCR 1014-3, Part 1. Foothills Environmental, Inc. (FEI) collected eight (8) samples and one (1) field blank for this Preliminary Assessment. The sample results indicate methamphetamine contamination above the Colorado clearance criteria of 0.5 ug/100 cm2. The highest sample result was 215.00 ug/100 cm2. 2 SUMMARY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS FEI contacted the Wheat Ridge Police Department and the West Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF) for any drug related records associated with 12430 West 44th Avenue. The Wheat Ridge Police Department did not have any records available, but the WMDTF provided a report to FEI on February 19th, 2016. The WMDTF report was from May 2003 and indicated the tenant(s) at that time were under investigation for production and distribution of methamphetamine. On May 15th, 2003, a search warrant was executed by WMDTF which resulted in the discovery of suspected methamphetamine and manufacturing supplies including: • A container labeled muriatic acid containing yellow liquid • Cold pills containing pseudoephedrine • A metal can labeled Coleman Fuel with green liquid • A plastic container labeled Heet with clear liquid • A jar containing cloudy liquid with white solid (test positive for ephedrine) • A jar containing gray crystals (suspect Iodine) • A container with an unknown clear liquid • A container labeled Acetone with clear liquid • A bottled labeled Denatured Alcohol with clear liquid The above items are consistent with the manufacture of methamphetamine via the pseudoephedrine reduction method. The WMDTF also discovered a mason jar with suspected ephedrine in solution and a jar with what appeared to be iodine crystals. The report states the garage had suspected iodine stains which suggests the garage was used for manufacturing methamphetamine at one time or another. The crystalline substance was later tested and confirmed to be methamphetamine. A copy of the WMDTF report can be found in Appendix C. 3 STRUCTURAL FEATURES The subject property was built in 1941 and is located at 12430 West 44th Avenue in Wheat Ridge, CO (Residence). The structure is a single-story ranch residence on the corner of 44th Avenue on the north and Wright Street. The residence is located in an area mixed with similar residences and also commercial properties. A gas stove located in the living room is the heat source with no furnace or ducting present. The residence has an attic which is accessed through a small hatch in the bedroom closet. The residence has a kitchen, living room, one bedroom and one bathroom. The construction is slab on grade with no crawl space present. A small pump house abuts the residence on the southwest corner. The pump house was not accessible (locked) at the time of this Preliminary Assessment (PA) and 3 therefore not inspected. A two-car detached garage is located to the southwest of the residence. The residence has approximately 624 square feet of finished living space with an additional 484 square feet of garage space. 4 OUTDOOR AREA The residence is surrounded by similar residences and commercial properties. The lot size is approximately 0.75 acres and was covered by snow at the time of this investigation and therefore evidence of vegetative distress was not apparent. The residence has a small patio in the back. No evidence of chemical dumping or distressed vegetation were observed. 5 MANUFACTURING METHOD The items discovered are consistent with the manufacture of methamphetamine via the pseudoephedrine reduction method. A copy of the WMDTF report can be found in Appendix C. 6 IDENTIFIED CHEMICALS No chemicals were present at the time of this investigation. However, the following chemicals were discovered at the time of the drug bust in May 2003: • A container labeled muriatic acid containing yellow liquid • Cold pills containing pseudoephedrine • A metal can labeled Coleman Fuel with green liquid • A plastic container labeled Heet with clear liquid • A jar containing cloudy liquid with white solid (test positive for ephedrine) • A jar containing gray crystals (suspect Iodine) • A container with an unknown clear liquid • A container labeled Acetone with clear liquid • A bottled labeled Denatured Alcohol with clear liquid 7 IDENTIFIED CONTAMINATION AREAS FEI conducted sampling of the residence on February 9th, 2016. The following table summarizes the results of the samples collected on February 9th, 2016. Sample Number Sample Location Sample Area Methamphetamine Concentration 1 Garage – wall panel (3) and work bench (1) 400 cm2 2.80 ug/100 cm2 2 Kitchen – wall panel (3) and drywall ceiling (1) 400 cm2 1.00 ug/100 cm2 3 Kitchen – stove hood 100 cm2 215.00 ug/100 cm2 4 Bathroom - walls 400 cm2 0.07 ug/100 cm2 5 Living room - walls 400 cm2 0.12 ug/100 cm2 4 6 Inside heat chamber of gas stove 100 cm2 0.35 ug/100 cm2 7 Attic 400 cm2 8.40 ug/100 cm2 8 Bedroom - walls 400 cm2 0.08 ug/100 cm2 9 Field Blank NA < 0.02 ug NA = Not Applicable *Attics and crawl spaces are Limited Exposure Areas with a cleanup standard of 4.0 ug/100 cm2 CDPHE cleanup standard is <0.5 ug/100 cm2 Red = Contamination levels above the CDPHE cleanup standard The garage and portions of the residence including the attic exceed the CDPHE cleanup standard. The Bedroom, Living Room and Bathroom were all below the CDPHE cleanup criteria of <0.5 ug/100 cm2. However, the contamination levels in those rooms is not consistent with the contamination level discovered on surfaces that would not have been painted over at some point in time. The current owner stated at the time of this investigation that the interior had not been painted since they’ve owned it, but they have not been the only owner since 2003 when the drug bust occurred. Furthermore, the current owner has contradicted the previous statement by admitting he has painted the interior on more than one occasion. It is reasonable to assume the interior walls have been painted during this period of time. The regulation requires samples to be moistened with isopropanol prior to sample collection. In the event surfaces are known to have been painted and thus potentially masking meth contamination, then methanol is to be used as the moistening agent which has been shown to enhance the collection efficiency. FEI relied on information presented at the time of sampling and did not use methanol on the surfaces that could have been painted. The methamphetamine levels detected in the stove hood and attic are indicative of meth production and the results in the Living Room, Bedroom and Bathroom are not consistent with the levels expected. FEI concludes the Living Room, Bedroom and Bathroom must be considered contaminated above the CDPHE cleanup level unless additional sampling using methanol as the wetting agent demonstrate the room are actually compliant. All personal possessions and appliances inside the residence, pump house and garage are considered contaminated and cannot be removed except by personnel licensed and trained to remove such items. No personnel are allowed to enter the residence including realtors, maintenance personnel, or others without the proper training. All decontamination and cleaning must be performed by a licensed methamphetamine contractor in Colorado with certified workers. A Clearance Assessment will be required once a contractor has decontaminated the affected areas. 8 SAMPLE METHODOLOGY All samples were collected using 2x2 inch polyester blend gauze pads. A new 100 cm2 template was affixed to all surfaces for sampling. Powder free nitrile gloves were donned prior to collecting each sample. Gloves were doffed after collecting each sample. The same pair of gloves were worn when collecting composite samples only. The gauze pads were dampened using isopropanol to enhance collection efficiency. None of the surfaces were reportedly painted at the time of this assessment, so 5 methanol was not used when sampling painted surfaces. Samples were collected in accordance with 6 CCR 1014-3 Part 1, Section 6.2.7 through 6.2.11. One field blank was collected for this project. The field blank was prepped and handled exactly as each sample was prepped and handled. The field blank was submitted along with all other samples via chain of custody to Reservoir Environmental, Inc. (REI) located at 5801 Logan Street, Suite 100 in Denver, CO. The samples were analyzed by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). REI conducted Quality Control reporting requirements for matrix blank, matrix duplicate, matrix spike and laboratory control as required – all were within acceptable range. The Reporting Limit for the analytical method was 0.05 ug. 9 SAMPLE LOCATIONS 6 7 10 PHOTOS Back of house Pump house – inaccessible at the time of this PA. Presumed to be contaminated. 8 West side of residence and pump house Front of residence (north side) 9 East side of residence Stove in kitchen 10 Kitchen Bathroom 11 Bedroom Attic hatch in bedroom closet 12 Living room with gas stove for heat Living room looking toward the east 13 Inside garage – full of items for storage Garage wall panel sample location 14 Garage wall panel sample location Garage shelf sample location 15 Kitchen wall sample location Kitchen wall sample location 16 Kitchen ceiling sample location Kitchen wall sample location by stove 17 Inside kitchen stove hood Bathroom wall sample location 18 Bathroom wall sample location Bathroom wall sample location 19 Bathroom ceiling sample location Living room walls sample location 20 Living room wall sample location Living room wall sample location 21 Living room wall sample location Inside gas stove 22 Attic Attic 23 Attic Attic 24 Bedroom wall sample location Bedroom wall sample location 25 Bedroom wall sample location Bedroom wall sample location 26 I hereby certify that I conducted a preliminary assessment of the subject property in accordance with 6 CCR 1014-3, Part 1, § 4. Andre Gonzalez, CIH Project Manager Appendix A Analytical Data Report Reservoirs Environmental, Inc. Reservoirs Environmental QA Manual Effective January 1, 2015 T:\QAQC\Lab\Reservoirs Environmental QA Manual.doc Page Cover Sheet 1 Letter 2 Report / Data 3 Quality Control Data 4 Chain of Custody 5 Foothills Environmental, Inc. (Lakewood) Final Report RES 342393-1 February 16, 2016 P: 303-964-1986 F: 303-477-4275 5801 Logan Street, Suite 100 Denver, CO 80216 Page 1 of 4 1-866-RESI-ENV www.reilab.com Reservoirs Environmental, Inc. Reservoirs Environmental QA Manual Effective January 1, 2015 T:\QAQC\Lab\Reservoirs Environmental QA Manual.doc Laboratory Code: RES Subcontract Number: NA Laboratory Report: RES 342393-1 Project # / P.O. #: ME16011 Project Description: RES 342393-1 Sincerely, February 16, 2016 Dear Customer, Reservoirs has analyzed the following sample(s) using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) / Gas Chromatography Flame Ionization Detector (GC/FID)per your request. The analysis has been completed in general accordance with the appropriate methodology as stated in the analysis table. Results have been sent to your office. property of the customer. Reservoirs Environmental, Inc. will not discuss any part of this study with personnel other than those authorized by the client. The results described in this report only apply to the samples analyzed. This report shall not be reproduced except in full, without written approval from Reservoirs Environmental, Inc. Samples will be disposed of after sixty days unless longer storage is requested. If you should have any questions about this report, please feel free to call me at 303-964-1986. Reservoirs Environmental, Inc. is an analytical laboratory accredited for the analysis of Environmental matrices by the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program,Lab Certification #E871030. The laboratory is currently proficient in the in-house ERA PAT Program. is the job number assigned to this study. This report is considered highly confidential and the sole 12430 W. 44th Ave. Andre Gonzalez Lakewood CO 80215 Foothills Environmental, Inc. (Lakewood) 11099 W. 8th Avenue Jeanne Spencer President P: 303-964-1986 F: 303-477-4275 5801 Logan Street, Suite 100 Denver, CO 80216 Page 2 of 4 1-866-RESI-ENV www.reilab.com Reservoirs Environmental, Inc. Reservoirs Environmental QA Manual Effective January 1, 2015 T:\QAQC\Lab\Reservoirs Environmental QA Manual.doc RES Job Number: Client: Client Project Number / P.O.: Client Project Description: Date Samples Received: Analysis Type: Turnaround: Date Samples Analyzed: Client Lab Sample Reporting METHAMPHETAMINE Reporting METHAMPHETAMINE ID Number ID Number Area Limit CONCENTRATION Limit CONCENTRATION (cm²)(µg) (µg)(µg/100cm²)(µg/100cm²) #1 EM 1569117 400 0.05 11.20 0.01 2.80 #2 EM 1569118 400 0.05 3.99 0.01 1.00 #3 EM 1569119 100 0.05 215.00 0.05 215.00 #4 EM 1569120 400 0.05 0.28 0.01 0.07 #5 EM 1569121 400 0.05 0.47 0.01 0.12 #6 EM 1569122 100 0.05 0.35 0.05 0.35 #7 EM 1569123 400 0.05 33.60 0.01 8.40 #8 EM 1569124 400 0.05 0.32 0.01 0.08 #9 EM 1569125 0 0.05 12430 W. 44th Ave. February 16, 2016 RES 342393-1 ME16011 Foothills Environmental, Inc. (Lakewood) RESERVOIRS ENVIRONMENTAL, INC. NVLAP Accredited Laboratory #101896 AIHA Certificate of Accreditation #480 LAB ID 101533 TABLE I. ANALYSIS:METHAMPHETAMINE BY WIPE Analyst / Data QA:________________________ February 9, 2016 5 Day Methamphetamine by GCMS * Unless otherwise noted all quality control samples performed within specifications established by the laboratory. <0.05ug P: 303-964-1986 F: 303-477-4275 5801 Logan Street, Suite 100 Denver, CO 80216 Page 3 of 4 1-866-RESI-ENV www.reilab.com Reservoirs Environmental, Inc. Reservoirs Environmental QA Manual Effective January 1, 2015 T:\QAQC\Lab\Reservoirs Environmental QA Manual.doc QUALITY CONTROL: RES Job Number: Client: Client Project Number / P.O.: Client Project Description: Date Samples Received: Analysis Type: Turnaround: Date Samples Analyzed: Matrix Matrix Duplicate Spike (µg/100cm²)(µg/100cm²)(% RPD) (% Recovery)(% Recovery) 1 0.05 BRL 7 102 96 12430 W. 44th Ave. February 16, 2016 Quality Control Batch RESERVOIRS ENVIRONMENTAL, INC. NVLAP Accredited Laboratory #101896 AIHA Certificate of Accreditation #480 LAB ID 101533 Laboratory Control SampleMatrix BlankReporting Limit METHAMPHETAMINE BY WIPE RES 342393-1 ME16011 Foothills Environmental, Inc. (Lakewood) Analyst / Data QA:________________________ February 9, 2016 5 Day Methamphetamine by GCMS * Unless otherwise noted all quality control samples performed within specifications established by the laboratory. P: 303-964-1986 F: 303-477-4275 5801 Logan Street, Suite 100 Denver, CO 80216 Page 4 of 4 1-866-RESI-ENV www.reilab.com Appendix B Certifications Appendix C Police Report