MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Tens of thousands of houses around the country have been used as clandestine methamphetamine labs the last decade, and a cottage industry is developing around cleaning them up.
Many Americans are more aware of the production of the highly addictive drug thanks to AMC's hit show "Breaking Bad," which featured a high school chemistry teacher who turned into a meth cook and dealer.
In real life, industrial hygienists and cleanup contractors deal with a property when a batch explodes or police raid an operation and shut it down.
However, there is little oversight of the growing industry in most states, opening the door for potential malfeasance. And some homeowners are reluctant to pay thousands of dollars to make a property safe, so many houses don't get cleaned for years.
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