illegal grow operations

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The Threat

Homes illegally converted to marijuana grow operations are springing up all over Canada. Here in British Columbia, they have reached epidemic proportions. If you are a rental homeowner that has had this unfortunate discovery, you may be in for a long, expensive and unpleasant experience. Clean up, repair, and lost income can add up to tens of thousands of dollars.

Municipalities Fight Back

Cities such as New Westminster and Nanaimo, tired of watching this problem grow in their own communities, have adopted new by-laws as a deterrent. The City of Nanaimo thus far has enacted one of the most aggressive and pro-active strategies in Canada, requiring building owners to hire an IAQ consultant to assess the environmental health of the converted houses. One of the greatest concerns for City officials is that homes could receive a superficial clean up and then be released onto the market for rental or sale. New occupants could experience serious health effects from leftover mould and chemical contamination.

In most situations following a grow-op bust, electrical and water services to the house are immediately stopped. The homeowner must obtain a building permit from the municipality to begin restorations. If the electrical system has been modified, common in cases involving power theft, the homeowner also requires an electrician to repair the system and an electrical inspection prior to resumption of service.

In the City of Nanaimo, the homeowner must submit a “Scope of Work” that has been written or reviewed by an approved IAQ consultant before a building permit is issued. The resumption of electrical services is an issue exclusive from the IAQ assessment. Upon successful completion of the clean up, the consultant will confirm the health of the building through an air quality test and issue a final report. Occupancy cannot be granted until the City receives a final report from the consultant and conducts a final inspection.

Thus far, only three consultants are approved to provide testing and consultant services:

>>>>> ~ Enmedex – Indoor Air Quality Specialists
>>>>>> ~ Jacques Whitford Environmental
>>>>>>> ~ Levelton Engineering

The Solution

The City of Nanaimo has written a protocol that specifies the responsibilities of all parties in restoring a house to occupancy. E-mail us for your free copy of this protocol in Acrobat PDF format.

It is critical that you read and understand the protocol prior to commencing any work!

Enmedex was involved in the solution to this problem from the very beginning. Initial meetings between the City, health officials, WCB, RCMP, prospective consultants and remediation companies began in February 2002.

Recognizing that homeowners are also victims of crimes, our goal is always to meet the regulatory mandate while providing quick, fair and cost effective solutions for our clients.

If you own or manage a rental property that has experienced any type of contamination, contact us now and start the process of restoring your property to health and profitability again.

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