"Meth production has swept across this country, destroying communities, and tying the hands of local law enforcement," said Congressman Berry. "Today's vote is an important step in combating this epidemic. Universal guidelines would give states the necessary guidance to keep citizens as safe as possible from dangerous toxins used in meth labs."

Law enforcement officers in Arkansas busted more than 3,000 methamphetamine labs across the state over the past three years, uncovering thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals. The hazardous waste at these sites poses significant short and long-term environmental health risks that jeopardize the safety of local residents. Although the EPA provides funding to local areas for clean-up procedures, there are no guidelines to help local officials dispose of the toxic chemicals in a safe manner.

As a co-sponsor of the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act, Congressman Berry has worked to provide more guidance and funding to law enforcement officials overwhelmed by methamphetamine cases. The measure requires the EPA to create voluntary guidelines for state and local governments to assist with their approaches to decontamination of these sites. EPA would update these guidelines every three years based on feedback from state and local entities.

"While we need to do everything possible to help our communities clean-up meth labs, we simply cannot stop there," said Congressman Berry. "We need to develop a comprehensive approach that strengthens enforcement, provides more funding for treatment, and works hard to educate young people about the dangers of this deadly drug."

Congressman Berry has also introduced legislation that would make it harder for individuals to access pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient used in methamphetamine production. The measure would make pseudoephedrine a Schedule V substance which would require retailers to put any common cold medicines that contain this key ingredient over-the-counter.