REALTORS® Drive for Better Consumer Protection against Grow-op Contaminants

Edmonton, AB – October 29, 2009: Consumers will be better protected from potential health and other hazards arising from living in properties formerly used as illegal drug operations when a report commissioned by REALTORS® is adopted by government.

With today’s release of a University of Calgary study commissioned by the Alberta Real Estate Association, Alberta REALTORS® now have guidelines to propose to government that could help establish provincial standards for cleaning up properties used as illegal drug operations.

“Our members, who advise consumers on real estate transactions across Alberta every day, realized that the standards for the clean-up of properties used as drug operations varied substantially from one provincial region to another and in some instances, did not exist at all,” says Bill Fowler, director of industry and government relations for the Alberta Real Estate Association. “We felt it important to highlight the issue and work with government to make sure that homeowners, tenants and prospective buyers of all types of properties in Alberta are protected.”

Faculty of Environmental Design professor, Tang Lee, an internationally recognized expert in building failure and indoor air quality investigations, led the study with his associate Karen Rollins of Indoor Air Quality Management in Canmore. The report was partially funded by the Alberta Real Estate Foundation. “Properties used as illegal drug operations pose long-term health and safety hazards, due to the presence of contaminants such as mould and chemicals,” says Lee. “We hope to smooth the way to a systematic rehabilitation process province-wide.”

According to Lee, the type of contaminants the report targets are more difficult to identify and remediate, as compared to more obvious hazards, such as fire, explosion, combustion gasses and structural damage that can result from illegal drug operations. The report offers guidelines for identifying, assessing and remediating these contaminants, including procedures for structural repairs, site remediation, air scrubbing and air testing. Recommendations for education, communication, organization and more are also included.

“Adoption of these guidelines will protect Albertans from the hazardous effects of a growing problem and reassure homebuyers that a remediated property is safe for themselves and their family,” says Ron Hutchinson, Executive Vice President of the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton. Hutchinson comments that those living in smaller communities or upscale neighbourhoods may feel the problem is specific to larger urban centres or inner city precincts. In fact, the problem exists and is growing in communities across the province – large and small, urban and rural alike – which is why it is so important a consistent provincial standard of remediation for these properties is established.

Lee says that, though these recommendations will help protect the consumer, the first line of defense is neighbours reporting suspicious activity in their community, landlords regularly inspecting rental properties and police investigation.

The standards proposed in the U of C study have undergone extensive consultation with industry stakeholders, including local health authorities, law enforcement agencies, safety code officers, environmental consultants and REALTORS®.

The report is available to the public online at the Alberta Real Estate Association website: www.areahub.ca.

The Alberta Real Estate Association and its membership of 11 real estate boards and more than 10,000 REALTORS® province-wide is committed to speaking out on issues where real estate knowledge and expertise can contribute to enhancing the quality of life of Albertans.

Grow-Op Backgrounder

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