Washington Administrative Code
Title 246 - Health, Department of
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Chapter 246-205 - Decontamination of illegal drug manufacturing or storage sites
Section 246-205-010 - Definitions

(1) "Authorized contractor" means any person or persons:

* Registered under chapter 18.27 RCW; and

* Certified by the department to decontaminate, demolish, or dispose of contaminated property as required by chapter 64.44 RCW and this chapter.

(2) "Basic course" means a training course which has been sponsored or approved by the department for workers and supervisors who perform or supervise decontamination on illegal drug manufacturing or storage sites.

(3) "Certificate" means a department issued written approval under this chapter.

(4) "Certified" means a person who has department issued written approval under this chapter.

(5) "Contaminated" or "contamination" means polluted by hazardous chemicals so that the property is unfit for human habitation or use due to immediate or long-term hazards. Property that at one time was contaminated, but has been satisfactorily decontaminated according to procedures established by the state board of health is not "contaminated."

(6) "Decontamination" means the process of reducing levels of known contaminants to the lowest practical level using currently available methods and processes.

(7) "Department" means the Washington state department of health.

(8) "Disposal of contaminated property" means the disposition of contaminated property under the provisions of chapter 70A.300 RCW.

(9) "Hazardous chemicals" means the following substances used in the manufacture of illegal drugs:

* Hazardous substances as defined in RCW 70A.305.020; and

* Precursor substances as defined in RCW 69.43.010 which the state board of health, in consultation with the pharmacy quality assurance commission, has determined present an immediate or long-term health hazard to humans.

(10) "Illegal drug manufacturing or storage site" means any property where a person illegally manufactures or stores a controlled substance or a law enforcement agency or the property owner believes a person illegally manufactured or stored a controlled substance.

(11) "Initial site assessment" means the first evaluation of a property to determine the nature and extent of observable damage and contamination.

(12) "List of contaminated properties" means a list of properties contaminated by illegal drug manufacturing or the storage of hazardous chemicals.

(13) "Local department" means the jurisdictional local health department or district.

(14) "Local health officer" means a health officer or authorized representative as defined under chapters 70.05, 70.08, and 70.46 RCW.

(15) "Person" means an individual, firm, association, copartnership, political subdivision, government agency, municipality, industry, public or private corporation, or other entity.

(16) "Posting" means attaching a written or printed announcement conspicuously on property which may be, or is determined to be, contaminated by illegal drug manufacturing or the storage of a hazardous chemical.

(17) "Property" means any site, lot, parcel of land, structure, or part of a structure involved in the illegal manufacture of a drug or storage of a hazardous chemical including, but not limited to:

* Single-family residences;

* Units or multiplexes;

* Condominiums;

* Apartment buildings;

* Motels and hotels;

* Boats;

* Motor vehicles;

* Trailers;

* Manufactured housing;

* Any ship, booth, or garden; or

* Any site, lot, parcel of land, structure, or part of a structure that may be contaminated by previous use.

(18) "Property owner" means a person with a lawful right of possession of the property by reason of obtaining it by purchase, exchange, gift, lease, inheritance, or legal action.

(19) "Refresher course" means a department sponsored or approved biennial training course for decontamination workers and supervisors. An approved refresher course:

* Reviews the subjects taught in the initial training course; and

* Includes updated information on emerging decontamination technology.

(20) "Storage site" means any property used for the storage of hazardous chemicals or illegally manufactured controlled substances.

(21) "Supervisor" means a person certified by the department and employed by an authorized contractor who is on site during the decontamination of an illegal drug manufacturing or storage site and who is responsible for the activities performed.

(22) "Warning" means a sign posted by the local health officer conspicuously on the site of an illegal drug manufacturing or storage site informing potential occupants that hazardous chemicals may exist on, or have been removed from, the premises and that entry is unsafe.

(23) "Worker" means a person certified by the department and employed by an authorized contractor who performs decontamination of an illegal drug manufacturing or storage site.