A Colorado library closes because of meth contamination

In downtown Boulder, Colorado, a public library has been closed for two weeks. No, winter weather was not to blame and neither was funding.

It was meth.

The main library in Boulder, about 30 miles northwest of Denver, was shut down Dec. 20 when test results from restroom exhaust vents showed methamphetamine contamination.

Officials said the city had conducted the tests “voluntarily and out of ... caution” after receiving reports of people smoking meth, a highly addictive synthetic stimulant with several adverse health effects, in the library’s restrooms in November and early December.

State and local governments have different standards for determining what level of meth contamination is safe for the public. The city of Boulder said in a statement last week that the “thresholds for remediation set in Colorado are some of the most conservative in the nation.”

The positive results from the exhaust fan tests prompted further testing, which showed that the highest contamination levels were in the library’s “public-facing restrooms.” Surface contamination was also found in seating areas with booths and tables on the library’s first floor, the city said.

“In two separate incidents, library staff were evaluated and cleared for potential meth exposure after feeling ill,” the statement said.

Sarah Huntley, the city of Boulder’s director of communication and engagement, said in an email that the contamination in portions of the library, including in the public restrooms, “exceeded health department standards.”

Officials said they were in the process of hiring certified remediation contractors to remove contaminated furniture and to thoroughly clean the restrooms. The process is expected to take several weeks.