Joyce: Dumped drug lab chemicals no threat to water systems, officials say

JOYCE — Toxic chemicals dumped in the soil at an apparent methamphetamine production lab pose no immediate threat to nearby water sources, officials say.

The hazardous chemicals, some of which are known to cause cancer, are seeping through the soil slowly but do not affect any well or surface water within a critical distance of the dump site, Clallam County Health Officer Dr. Tom Locke said Thursday.

The toxins were discovered in January at 157 Lawrence Road near Freshwater Bay, where police say the property owner manufactured a large amount of methamphetamine and dumped hazardous byproducts into a hole dug in the yard.

The state Department of Ecology released results of soil tests at the site this week.

“We’re recommending that this site be formally listed as a contaminated site,” Ecology Spokeswoman Sandy Howard said Thursday.

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