$3 Million Meth Lab: In King County, Drug Houses Are Expensive

SEATTLE, WA - Would you buy a home if you knew it had once been used to make methamphetamine?

The Drug Enforcement Agency and King County keep track of reported meth labs around the country, including hundreds of big and small homes around Washington. In a real estate market where the average home is selling for close to $800,000, even homes that have been used to make meth are selling at sky-high prices.

The Environmental Protection Agency does not regulate cleanup of former meth labs, but does acknowledge that chemicals left behind pose serious health risks to adults and especially children. Chemicals like phosphorus, anhydrous ammonia, and paint thinners are used in meth production. Residue can cause respiratory health problems, throat burns, and skin irritation, according to the EPA.

"Long-term exposure to meth labs is a big concern, especially for children living in a very contaminated environment. However, there is scientific evidence from animal and human toxicity studies that shows the chemicals used in the manufacture of meth can cause a range of health effects. These include cancer, damage to the brain, liver and kidneys, birth defects, and reproductive problems, such as miscarriages," according to the state Department of Health.

In Washington, cleaning of drug labs is often monitored by the county-level health department. According to records from King County and the Drug Enforcement Agency, here are some of the former meth labs in and how much the homes are valued at today:

• 1923 10th Ave E, Seattle - Meth lab found in February 2004, currently valued at $3 million.
• 5124 Issaquah Pine Lake Rd SE, Issaquah - Meth lab found in 2002, currently valued at $1.5 million.
• 5840 Oberlin Ave NE, Seattle - Meth lab found in April 2004, currently valued at $1.3 million.
• 10908 244th Ave NE, Redmond - Meth lab found in 1990, currently valued at $830,000.
• 9505 Slater Ave NE, Kirkland - Meth lab found in 2002, currently valued at $700,000.
• 19707 130th Pl NE, Woodinville - Meth lab found and cleaned up in 2005, currently valued at $670,000.
• 518 N 101st St, Seattle - Meth lab found in 2006, currently valued at $640,000.
• 9039 12th Avenue SW, Seattle - Meth lab found in 2002, cleaned up in 2014, last sold for $450,000.

To see all the King County homes that have been used as a drug lab at some point, click here. King County health updates the list the last week of every month.

Caption: A police officer examines chemicals and equipment found in a methamphetamine manufacturing lab following a police raid on Jan. 17, 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images