Topeka ? State officials Friday said they have discontinued a program to clean up meth labs because of budget cuts.

“It is unfortunate, but unavoidable, that keeping a balanced state budget made the elimination of this program necessary,” said Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Roderick Bremby.

“The Clandestine Drug Lab Response Program not only helped to ensure healthy and clean neighborhoods and communities, but was an opportunity for KDHE to build partnerships with law enforcement,” he said.

The program responded to 170 illegal drug labs last year, KDHE said. According to KDHE, the program helped clean up one illegal lab in Douglas County in 2008 and two so far this year.

Typically, the jobs entail removing and disposing of hazardous chemicals and testing to determine whether residences were safe to live in. Structures deemed unsafe were marked with warning placards that would remain until the owners cleaned up the property. Cleanups often included replacing carpeting, wallboard and other contaminated materials.

Discontinuing the $313,000 per year program was in response to a 2 percent budget cut put in place earlier this month by Gov. Mark Parkinson. The 2 percent cut was part of a plan by Parkinson to keep the state budget in balance and was also applied to public schools and higher education.

Maggie Thompson, a spokeswoman for KDHE, said the cleanups will now have to be handled by local governments, many of which also are facing budget constraints.

Although the program is being cut, no personnel are being laid off, she said. Agency staff have been reassigned to other programs, she said.