Signs were placed at the town hall’s exterior doors to inform visitors that the library as well as restrooms were closed because of meth contamination in the south Denver suburb of Englewood, Colo.
David Zalubowski/AP
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Signs were placed at the town hall’s exterior doors to inform visitors that the library as well as restrooms were closed because of meth contamination in the south Denver suburb of Englewood, Colo.
David Zalubowski/AP
For the second time in months, a library in Colorado has temporarily closed to clean up meth contamination.
The Englewood Public Library in Colorado said it closed last Wednesday after tests showed the vents reflected meth contamination. “with levels above the state threshold.”
This comes just weeks after officials in Boulder, about 35 miles northwest of Englewood, closed their main library in December due to poisoning from the drug. Library reopen on January 9, but the bathroom will remain closed to visitors.
The inspections carried out in Englewood on January 6 were carried out as a proactive measure following a report from Boulder, the city said in a press release. These test results also found the restrooms “exceeded the state threshold for methamphetamine contamination.” According to the city, other spaces in the library reflect lower levels of contamination, but they will still need specialized cleaning.
The American Library Association told NPR in a statement that it was aware of two incidents. “We are not aware of this problem occurring anywhere else in the country, now or in recent years.”
One expert told NPR that because the contamination occurred at a public library, cleanup efforts could be lengthy and lengthy.
“In most cases, it’s always possible. There’s always a way to decontaminate. In terms of scope, it all depends on the extent of the decontamination. [of contamination] is,” said Joseph Mazzuca, chief executive officer of the Meth Lab Cleanup Company, whose company is based in 41 states and he is a certified meth cleanup contractor in Colorado.
Mazzuca shared with NPR how this process can be.
Why is a dedicated cleanup necessary?
I’m here a highly addictive stimulant can be ingested by smoking, snorting, swallowing a pill or injecting.
But it is Chelsea Shover, assistant professor in residence at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, said it’s unclear whether members of the public who go to the library are at risk for serious health problems.
“Nobody says it’s healthy or good for you,” she says.
National Institute on Drug Abuse advice that researchers aren’t sure if secondhand smoke from meth can affect health or make people high. However, the People exposed to secondhand smoke may later test positive for meth, the organization says.
“There is no clear scientific standard for determining how unhealthy secondary meth exposure is. However, research shows that the health risks are more severe after long-term exposure. with high pollution levels, especially for infants, young children and people with existing health conditions,” Boulder County Public Health officials said in a letter informs the public about the health risks posed by meth residues at his library.
What is the cleaning process like?
Regardless of how unclear the science is about the dangers of meth exposure to the public, a strong cleanup is absolutely necessary. under Colorado law.
The regulations state that the meth limit cannot exceed o.1 micrograms. If the property owner finds that the test results show that amount or higher, they must initiate decontamination efforts.
The other option is to go through a “full clearance sampling process” – essentially more testing.
It is unclear how much meth was recorded at the Englewood Public Library. The city said of the test results: “Tests showed contamination, but there was no way to determine if the contamination residues found were recent or have existed for a long time.”
Mazzuca said Colorado is “strictly regulated” compared to other states, where there are varying degrees of what is considered safe for the public.
There are specialized meth pollution cleanup specialists throughout the country. Each state, including Coloradogather your own list of possible contractors for this job.
So far, Englewood says remedial work will include removing any contaminated surfaces, walls, HVAC ducts and exhaust fan equipment.
This will take some time, Mazzuca said. The first step for contractors selected for this job will be more testing to determine how much cleanup efforts are needed.
Mazzuca is tight-lipped about exactly what his company does to remove traces of meth from space. Technically, it’s a company secret. State rules don’t say how that needs to be done.
“In the state of Colorado, the regulations are very strict, where our goal is to remove methamphetamine contamination from the surface and reduce it to an acceptable level. That’s our goal,” he said. . “That’s very difficult to do with methamphetamine. It’s very difficult.”
What might this say about the broader problems of meth use in the United States?
A bag of crystal methamphetamine and a homemade pipe.
Matt York / AP
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Matt York / AP
A bag of crystal methamphetamine and a homemade pipe.
Matt York / AP
Englewood Public Library says a number of staff and customers have reported an increase in drug activity at the library in recent months.
Initial tests were conducted in Boulder because staff there had also repeatedly reported suspected drug use at the library.
Mazzuca and Shover said these two sites in Colorado are a microcosm of the growing trend of methamphetamine use and the need for decontamination in the United States.
Boulder County reported significant increase in the number of methamphetamine-affected properties in Boulder County over the past six years.
And in 2021, the year with the most drug deaths in the United States, most drug overdose deaths are from meth and fentanyl.KCRW reported.
“We certainly have evidence that meth use is on the rise,” says Shover. “The other thing that’s happening is that we’re seeing an increase in methamphetamine use in parts of the country where it used to be quite rare,” such as the Northeast.
Mazzuca has been in business for 20 years and has seen erratic up and down cycles.
He said of calls to his business: “Things have been pretty slow over the last 18 to 19 months and for the past month and a half, and going on, it’s been off the charts.
He believes part of that is because long-abandoned properties that were used as meth labs a few years ago are being bought and sold, and therefore need to be cleaned up.
“We’re seeing a lot of that. In the last two months alone, we’ve been getting calls from places where we haven’t taken calls in two years,” he said.
