Fees for illegal drug lab decontamination-related work in King County

The King County Board of Health has adopted new fees to enable Public Health – Seattle and King County ("Public Health") to recover costs for work plan review, verification and analytical sampling for decontamination of illegal drug labs. The new fees, part of Board of Health Rule and Regulation 09-01 adopted February 20, 2009, took effect March 21, 2009.

• Review of work plans for the decontamination, demolition or disposal of contaminated property, and for verification of decontamination, demolition or disposal, including property inspection by the director.
• Analytical sample and laboratory costs incurred by the director.

• $573.00 base fee for the first three hours, plus $191.00 per hour after three hours.*
• Actual per sample costs charged by the analytical laboratory

*Effective January 1, 2012, the fees will be: $603 base fee for the first three hours, plus $201 per hour after three hours.

1. Who is affected by these new fees?
   Only the property owner(s). Two categories of property owners are affected:
   1. Those whose property was deemed contaminated and unfit for use before March 21, 2009 and have not been issued a release of notice and order before March 21, 2009; and
   2. Those whose property is deemed contaminated and unfit for use on or after March 21, 2009.
      
      
2. Who is responsible for payment?
   The property owner(s) will be billed by Public Health for fees incurred for staff time spent on work plan reviews, verification and site visits and analytical sample fees for decontamination of the owner's property. The property owner will be billed and will be responsible for payment prior to the release of the notice and order has been signed and filed in the King County Recorder's Office.
   
   
3. I am the owner of contaminated property that is in the process of being decontaminated. Work began before March 21, 2009. Will the fees be waived?
   No. All time spent on review of work plans, verification of decontamination and analytical sampling and laboratory costs incurred on or after March 21, 2009 will be billed to the property owner regardless of when the certified decontamination contractor you hired submitted the work plan or what stage the property is in prior to the issuance of the release of notice and order. The property owner will not be billed for activities occurring before issuance of a notice and order for the owner's property.
   
   
4. Are there late fees or penalty fees if I do not pay by the due date?
   There are no late or penalty fees, however failure to submit payment will result in the inclusion of the plan review and analytical sampling fees in any lien filed against title to the property for the owner's noncompliance with state and local decontamination regulations and orders of the health officer, and may also result in referral for collection. The property owner has 30 days from the date of billing to submit payment to Public Health.
   
   
5. What are the "actual sample costs" charged by the analytical lab and when are we charged?
   The cost will depend on the analytical lab that performs the work. On average, the cost is $50 per methamphetamine wipe sample; however the amount will vary for other kinds of sampling which may need to be conducted. The property owner will be billed for the analytical sampling and laboratory costs any time Public Health conducts sampling activities at the owner's property. For example, the owner will be billed for any pre-decontamination samples collected to determine levels of contamination, or any post-decontamination samples collected to determine whether decontamination has been accomplished.
   

Public Health –- Seattle & King County
401 5th Ave, Suite 1100
Seattle, WA 98104

Environmental Health front desk: 206-205-4394
Environmental Health Fax: 206-296-0189
Email inquiries using our online form
Illegal Drug Lab website

Make checks payable to: SKCDPH
Cash, check and credit card accepted