Report on meth too little, too late

people do.’’

They decided to get a second company to test the house, Blenheim’s Zerostone Investigations. Mike Lawson, a former police officer and owner of Zerostone Investigations, found traces of methamphetamine use at the house.

‘‘I treat most properties as having been smoked in, not having been manufactured in,’’ he said.

Lawson said the report he created was in line with New Zealand standards and also included links to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment report and the Gluckman report that allowed the higher levels.

‘‘We’re happy to test to whichever standard is set by the legislature, it would be nice to have something concrete,’’ Lawson said. ‘‘You’ve got to put your faith in the scientists that come up with the standards and abide by their results and what they say.’’

It was unlikely the Mccracken house was used as a meth lab, and current testing practices did not test for any other toxic chemicals involved in the manufacturing process.

Mccracken said the highest contamination level in a room was 4.5 micrograms per 100cm2. The 10.8 microgram per 100cm2 level was for all rooms combined.

The Marlborough District Council issued a repair notice to decontaminate the property in February 2016. A closing order was issued the following month as the repair notice had not been complied with, requiring the property be immediately vacated.

‘‘For us, it was a requirement of the council that we get the house decontaminated,’’ Mccracken said. ‘‘It was kind of a blessing. It means we could get the tenant out in seven days instead of six weeks.’’

Reports of meth contamination stay on LIM reports despite the new, higher standard.