FBI's Drug Burn Causes Health Crisis At Montana Animal Shelter, Staff Members Hospitalised
The executive director of the shelter said thatshe was unaware that the FBI was burning drugs.
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At least 14 employees from the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter in Billings, Montana, required hospitalization after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) incinerated approximately two pounds of confiscated methamphetamine within the shelter premises on Wednesday, according to CBS News. Reports indicate that authorities utilized an incinerator located at the animal shelter facility to destroy the seized narcotics.
Shortly after the incineration began, smoke permeated throughout the building, triggering various symptoms among staff including severe headaches, throat irritation, lightheadedness, excessive perspiration, and coughing. The situation necessitated an immediate evacuation of all personnel and approximately 75 cats and dogs from the facility.
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"We currently have no comprehensive assessment of our losses," shelter board member and attorney Frans Andersson informed CBS affiliate KTVQ. "At this moment, we lack a complete inventory of what was inside the building."
Triniti Halverson, the shelter's executive director, emphasized that she had no prior knowledge of the FBI's drug disposal operation. "I can state with absolute certainty that, as the Executive Director, I was completely unaware they would be disposing of highly dangerous narcotics on our premises," she declared in an official statement.
"Both my staff and the animals under our care have been confirmed to have been exposed to methamphetamine."
According to Assistant City Administrator Kevin Iffland, who spoke on Friday, the smoke likely infiltrated the building due to negative air pressure conditions. Standard protocol dictates that a fan should be present during such operations to direct smoke outward from the building; however, Iffland confirmed this equipment was absent during the incident.
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FBI spokesperson Sandra Barker told CBS News that government officials frequently use the incinerator for destroying confiscated narcotics. According to BBC reporting, while cats and dogs were successfully relocated, certain animals with greater smoke exposure remain under close veterinary supervision.
A specialized remediation company has been contracted to evaluate the contamination and decontaminate the facility. "This represents an unusual remediation scenario," explained Andrew Newman, owner and CEO of Newman Restoration.
"Typically, our work involves residential properties containing small-scale meth labs that caused fires or required decontamination. The commercial scale of this facility and the circumstances surrounding the incident make this a particularly unique cleanup operation."