Home Laboratories Under Attack?

That's right, it seems home laboratories may be coming under attack, at least in some parts of the US, and we don't mean underground, clandestine meth labs. We mean legitimate, amateur, home experimentor's laboratories. Here's the text from a recent post on the Make Magazine blog (http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/08/home_science_under_attack.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890):

"The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports that Victor Deeb, a retired chemist who lives in Marlboro, has finally been allowed to return to his Fremont Street home, after Massachusetts authorities spent three days ransacking his basement lab and making off with its contents.
Deeb is not accused of making methamphetamine or other illegal drugs. He's not accused of aiding terrorists, synthesizing explosives, nor even of making illegal fireworks. Deeb fell afoul of the Massachusetts authorities for ... doing experiments.
Authorities concede that the chemicals found in Deeb's basement lab were no more hazardous than typical household cleaning products. Despite that, authorities confiscated "all potentially hazardous chemicals" (which is to say the chemicals in Deeb's lab) from his home, and called in a hazardous waste cleanup company to test the chemicals and clean up the lab.
Pamela Wilderman, the code enforcement officer for Marlboro, stated, "I think Mr. Deeb has crossed a line somewhere. This is not what we would consider to be a customary home occupation."
Allow me to translate Ms. Wilderman's words into plain English: "Mr. Deeb hasn't actually violated any law or regulation that I can find, but I don't like what he's doing because I'm ignorant and irrationally afraid of chemicals, so I'll abuse my power to steal his property and shut him down."
In effect, the Massachusetts authorities have invaded Deeb's lab, apparently without a warrant, and stolen his property. Deeb, presumably under at least the implied threat of further action, has not objected to the warrantless search and the confiscation of his property. Or perhaps he's just biding his time. It appears that Deeb has grounds for a nice juicy lawsuit here.
There's a lesson here for all of us who do science at home, whether we're home schoolers or DIY science enthusiasts. The government is not our friend. Massachusetts is the prototypical nanny state, of course, but the other 49 aren't far behind. Any of us could one day find the police at the door, demanding to search our home labs. If that day comes, I will demand a warrant and waste no time getting my attorney on the phone.
There's a word for what just happened in Massachusetts. Tyranny. And it's something none of us should tolerate."

As you know H.M.S. Beagle is all about home laboratories and giving support and encouragement to parents and students who want to explore the sciences at home. Please post your thoughts and opinions. We think that we should be encouraging our law makers to take the same stand on the support and encouragement of home laboratories. Stop and think for a moment of all of the home schoolers, to mention one important group, who have set up and performed experiments at home for their children. We recently tutored a home-schooled high school student in chemistry. We helped with the "book" part of the lesons and his parents did all the "lab" part at home.