Nursing home air OK after meth explosion

The US Environmental Protection Agency said in a report methamphetamine residues from an explosion in an Ohio nursing home pose no short- or long-term risk. A visitor to a resident of Park Haven, a nursing home in Ashtabula, Ohio, brought equipment into the skilled nursing facility and in the process of making methamphetamine an explosion and fire resulted killing the visitor and injuring six others March 4. One of the injured was a visitor, three were patients and two were staff. The facility is home for 39 people in 31 rooms, mostly on the first floor. The building's sprinkler system contained the fire to one room and the hallway where the explosion occurred, the Ashtabula, (Ohio), Star Beacon.com reported. The injured nursing home resident survived because he was near the door and further away from the explosion. The fire department said the visitor had a one-bottle "shake and bake" methamphetamine operation. A spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Health told United Press International the state is in the process revoking the license of Park Haven and the facility could close voluntarily or have a hearing on the closing because of this issue and a previous "fairly serious," violation. The Ohio Department of Public Health and members of the Ohio Department of Aging are working together on addressing the patients needs and helping them relocate to another facility if necessary. Many of the patients, who range in age from their 30s to the elderly have behavioral health concerns, mental disabilities or illnesses variety, the Ohio Department told UPI.