by Clark Larsen

GUEST COLUMNIST

Home ownership is the American dream. There are few things in life quite as rewarding as owning your own home with your own yard, living room, kitchen and bedrooms. It can be your own little piece of heaven where many cherished and delightful memories of family and friends can be made.

Along with the dream of home ownership, there is often the added benefit of knowing your little piece of heaven is in a good neighborhood with good schools, stores and city services. On top of that, there must be the assurance that health and environmental issues have been carefully addressed. That is why homes are and must be inspected for radon gas, asbestos and lead-based paint. However, as Tooele Transcript-Bulletin staff writer, Doug Radunich, clearly explained in his April 10 article, there is another problem, which if not addressed promptly will have seriously negative effects on home and condominium ownership: meth.

Meth isn't just a problem for the addict, but also for those who have to clean up the mess of hazardous and disgusting meth labs. It may not be apparent to some, but properties which were at one time, meth-making laboratories can still be contaminated with the remains of those materials long after the occupants who produced them have left.

Some may argue that cleaning up a former meth house is too costly, or that it has the potential of hurting the overall real estate market in our state. My response would simply be, would you rather pay for it now, or pay for it later when a doctor says that you or someone in your family is seriously ill? And how excited would someone be, knowing that the home or condominium they wanted to buy used to be a meth house?

Just as homes are tested for lead-based paint, asbestos and radon gas, the issue of testing homes and condos for meth must be considered. I urge Gov. Huntsman, as well as our state legislators -- particularly those representing Tooele County -- not to ignore the problems associated with meth, both for the addict and for the home owner. I urge you to carefully and promptly consider legislation that would mandate proper inspections for meth in all previously occupied homes and condominiums.

If a person finds a property which they truly love and want to move into, they must not have that desire thwarted because of the presence of meth-making materials. Real estate agents, property owners and legislators alike must be willing to work together to deal with this problem. In the end, everyone will benefit.

Clark Larsen is a communication sales representative who lives in Tooele.