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(KSL News) A last-minute maneuver on Capitol Hill means police officers exposed to meth labs may finally get medical answers they've been searching for.
A series of Eyewitness News Investigations uncovered strange diseases, cancers, and deaths among Utah police officers who raided meth labs in the 1980's and 1990's. Officers were often exposed to dangerous chemicals and issued only rubber gloves for protection.
Just before midnight, firefighters and the Utah Department of Public Safety made a frantic push on Capitol Hill and saved legislation that wasn't expected to pass.
The law sets aside a half-million dollars for a medical study to see if the officers' diseases are linked to their chemical exposures -- firefighters will be studied too. If a link is found, officers will be compensated for medical bills, which have forced some into bankruptcy.
