Nebraska Administrative Code
Topic - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SYSTEM
Title 178 - ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Chapter 24 - METHAMPHETAMINE CLEANUP
Section 178-24-006 - SITE DECONTAMINATION
Universal Citation: 178 NE Admin Rules and Regs ch 24 ยง 006
Current through September 17, 2024
A property owner who performs site decontamination must contact the local public health department to ensure all applicable local, state, and federal regulations are complied with in the decontamination process.
006.01 PHASE 1 - REMOVAL OF ITEMS FOR DISPOSAL. In order to remove items for disposal, the property owner or a decontamination consultant must:
(A) Complete a thorough assessment of the
property for sharps. Care must be taken to identify sharps that are hidden or
stored in obscure places that pose a hazard to decontamination workers. Sharps
must not be handled directly. Tongs or pliers must be used to pick up sharps.
Sharps must be placed in a labeled puncture-proof container and sealed for
proper disposal;
(B) Remove all
household chemical products. Some materials require special handling and
disposal. The local public health department and the Nebraska Department of
Environment and Energy must be contacted for guidance on identifying, handling,
and disposal of these substances;
(C) Remove and dispose of all general site
debris;
(D) Remove and dispose of
all items that cannot be properly decontaminated. These items include but are
not limited to:
(i) Window mounted air
conditioning units;
(ii) Ceiling
fans; and
(iii) Drop in or acoustic
ceiling tiles;
(E) Remove
and dispose of all fabric items from the cooking area. No attempt must be made
to remove stains from porous fabric items or other items that can be easily
disposed of.
(F) Place debris,
fabric items from the cooking area, and items that cannot be properly
decontaminated, as listed in this chapter, in a container. The container must
not be accessible to the public when placed outside of the structure. Dumpsters
must be covered and locked while awaiting disposal; and
(G) Disconnect electricity to the
contaminated area, if possible. All electrical outlets and light fixtures must
be covered to prevent exposure to water during cleaning.
006.02 PHASE 2 - CLEANING PROCEDURES. The property owner or decontamination consultant must adhere to the following cleaning procedures.
006.02(A)
RECONTAMINATION
PREVENTION. One room must be cleaned at a time. When complete, the
door must be closed and the room isolated to prevent recontamination.
006.02(B)
CLEANING
SOLUTION. A water-based mixture with a potential hydrogen (pH)
greater than 7 must be used to remove the oily residue that remains after
cooking methamphetamine and for neutralizing many of the remaining
chemicals.
006.02(C)
AIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND VENTILATION SYSTEMS. The
procedures for cleaning air distribution and ventilation systems are as
follows.
(i) The air distribution system and
ventilation systems must be turned off and remain off throughout the
decontamination process;
(ii) All
air filters must be removed and properly disposed of;
(iii) All air registers must be removed and
cleaned with detergent and water solution and rinsed thoroughly. This procedure
must be repeated two additional times, using new detergent solution and rinse
water each time;
(iv) A fan-powered
high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration system must be connected to
the ductwork to develop negative air pressure to aid in removal of
particulates;
(v) Rotary brushes or
other forms of mechanical agitators must be inserted into all ductwork openings
to loosen and remove particulates;
(vi) All ductwork openings must be sealed off
using polyethylene sheeting with a minimum thickness of 4-mil (0.004 inch)
thickness to prevent recontamination until further decontamination work at the
site has been completed;
(vii)
After cleaning, the decontamination consultant must test surfaces in the air
distribution system and the ventilation systems for the presence of
methamphetamine; and
(viii) The
decontamination consultant must provide the results to the local public health
department.
006.02(D)
REMOVABLE ITEMS. The procedures for cleaning removable
items are as follows.
(i) All removable items
that are not disposed of must be cleaned by both high-efficiency particulate
air (HEPA) vacuuming and, following all manufacturers' guidelines, one of the
following methods:
(1) Steam cleaning with a
hot water and detergent solution and extraction by wet vacuum;
(2) Wash in a washing machine or dishwasher
with hot water and a detergent solution; or
(3) For non-porous surfaces only, wash by
wiping down with hot water and an alkaline aqueous cleaning
solution;
(ii) Items as
described in 178 NAC 24-006.03(D)(i) must then be moved out of the room prior
to continuing with decontamination of the ceiling, walls, and floors;
(iii) After cleaning, the decontamination
consultant must test all items for the presence of methamphetamine;
and
(iv) The decontamination
consultant must provide the results to the local public health
department.
006.02(E)
SURFACE CLEANING. The procedures for cleaning of
surfaces are as follows.
(i) Other than
concrete flooring, the floor of the room must be covered with polyethylene
sheeting with a minimum thickness of 4-mil (0.004 inch) and taped onto the
baseboard to contain excess solution while rinsing the ceiling and
walls;
(ii) An alkaline aqueous
cleaning solution must be applied to all remaining exposed surfaces, ceilings,
walls, doors, windows and closets. A sprayer must be used for applying the
cleaning solution. The solution must be left on the surfaces for a minimum of
10 minutes prior to removal;
(iii)
Beginning at the ceiling, all surfaces must be scrubbed, including walls,
windows, doors and closets;
(iv) An
extraction machine, similar to a carpet-cleaning machine that simultaneously
rinses and collects the rinsate in the attachment, or pressure washer must be
used to rinse and extract the contamination from the scrubbed surfaces. Heated
water must be used to effectively remove the oily residue. Two decontamination
workers must be used, one to rinse and the other to wet vacuum. Rinsing and
extraction must be completed in one direction to remove contamination without
redistributing it to decontaminated areas;
(v) The polyethylene sheeting must then be
removed and the decontamination process repeated for the floor. Rinsing and
extraction must be completed in one direction to remove contamination without
redistributing it to decontaminated areas;
(vi) Adjustment of the potential hydrogen
(pH) and dilution may be required before disposal of the extracted liquid to a
drain. The local public health department and the Nebraska Department of
Environment and Energy must be contacted prior to disposal;
(vii) When the cleaning procedures are
complete, the windows to the structure must be opened, and fans set up to
ventilate the site for a minimum of 24 hours, to draw out excess moisture
generated during the cleaning procedures;
(viii) After cleaning, the decontamination
consultant must test surfaces for the presence of methamphetamine;
and
(ix) The decontamination
consultant must provide the results to the local public health
department.
006.02(F)
PLUMBING AND SEPTIC SYSTEM CLEANING. The procedures
for cleaning plumbing and septic systems are as follows.
(i) The accessible plumbing components,
traps, where chemicals of potential concern have been disposed of must be
cleaned and tested to meet the standards specified in this chapter;
and
(ii) The septic system, if
present, must be pumped as part of the decontamination. The system must be
pumped prior to site cleaning and again after completion of site
decontamination to avoid overflow into the absorption field. Nebraska
Department of Environment and Energy regulations must be met in order to
protect ground water. Additional oversight by the Nebraska Department of
Environment and Energy may be required.
006.02(G)
SOIL
DECONTAMINATION. The procedures for decontaminating soil are as
follows.
(i) To ensure compliance with
Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy regulations, the Nebraska
Department of Environment and Energy must be consulted regarding removal of
contamination in, or decontamination of:
(1)
Burn areas;
(2) Trash areas;
and
(3) Dump
sites;
(ii) If soil or
ground water cleanup is required, the cleanup standards selected must be:
(1) At or below background concentration;
or
(2) Equal to or less than state
regulatory standards of 178 NAC 24-009, if applicable, and if not applicable,
federal risk-based standards outlined in the United States Environmental
Protection Agency Risk-Based Concentrations Table for residential, or if
relevant, industrial exposure. The United States Environmental Protection
Agency table is available for viewing at the following web address:
https://www.epa.gov/risk/regional-screening-levels-rsls-generic-tables .
(iii) Alternative values
may be proposed but approval is required by the Nebraska Department of
Environment and Energy.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Nebraska may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
