Colorado Library Closes After High Meth Levels Discovered Inside
A pest problem or an emergency repair are both fairly common reasons that a public place might need to temporarily close its doors, but a library in Boulder is facing a different sort of issue that's forcing visitors to stay away for the time being.
The city's of Boulder's main library, located at 1001 Arapahoe Avenue, announced a temporary closure that began on Monday, December 19. The short-term shutdown is to allow crews to come and perform environmental testing inside the building.
According to CBS Denver, the library's closure was prompted after it was discovered that methamphetamine was being used in the restrooms
Several days ago, testing showed higher-than-acceptable meth levels, in addition to actual residue, inside the air ducts of six of the bathrooms. These ducts blow air, plus any other contaminants inside, throughout the rest of the building, meaning the meth could easily make its way to other places within the library.
Further testing includes obtaining swab samples of the surfaces inside all of the facility's bathrooms. The environmental experts will also conduct swab tests in areas outside of the restrooms to make sure the entire establishment is safe going forward.
According to the library, the closure is expected to last at least three to four days. During this time, the book drops are also closed. The library asks that borrowed items are returned to another location - all of which are open with regular hours and services.
Unfortunately, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of methamphetamine-affected properties in Boulder County over the past 6 years.