This story first appeared in a Colorado Community Media newspaper. Support CCM’s neighborhood news.
Another Denver-area library has closed over concerns about methamphetamine residue.
The Arvada Library’s doors will be shut for an indefinite period of time after testing for the substance by EnviroSpec.The announcement from the Jefferson County Public Library came on Saturday.
The library is the fourth in the metro area to close due to meth contamination. Libraries in Boulder, Littleton and Englewood closed in recent weeks after similar testing.
The decision to test the Arvada Library followed a review of incident reports across Jefferson County libraries. Further testing is expected to bring any public health concerns into sharper focus.
JCPL said that recent studies indicate that exposure to meth residue poses little health risk compared to long term exposure to meth residue in one’s home or workplace — an assertion backed by experts recently interviewed by Colorado Community Media.
“This is an ongoing situation and if there is information that would lead us to believe that there is an unreasonable risk to the health of staff or patrons, testing at other locations would be plausible,” JCPL said in a statement.