They found meth residue in the exhaust fan grilles.
They found meth residue in the booths.
They found meth residue on the baby changing table.
And the residue level of the bathroom that contained the baby changing table was 15 times higher than what's considered to be acceptable levels.
These findings, contained in a report by a company that conducted the meth exposure test of the Boulder Public Library, captured the gravity of the situation that forced officials to shutter the library in December.
Indeed, news of meth residue in public spaces — in train stations, groceries and libraries — suggests the public is seeing only the tip of the "methberg," with much of its underbelly hidden away.
QUEST Environmental collected 99 meth samples in the Boulder Main Library, 11 of which came back showing levels of contamination requiring decontamination.
In the case of the Boulder Public Library, meth contamination was widespread, although the concentrations exceeding acceptable levels were found in fewer than a dozen places, including in the exhaust vents of family and children's bathrooms.
Residue was also found in the children's theater and story time area, although at levels well below what's considered acceptable limits.
The meth problem that plagued the library also caused two security guards to quit, according to emails obtained by The Denver Gazette from the library.
"We are down to one security officer," a library staffer told a city officer in an email. "Two others have abruptly resigned this month due to the drug use situation and not feeling adequately protected and in general due to the escalating aggressive behavior of some library users."
The library staffer also said that the security officers' company is "concerned about placing new officers at the library."
Quality Environmental Services and Technologies, Inc (QUEST), the consulting firm contracted by the city to test the library for meth, noted that a surface is considered contaminated enough to need a cleanup when it tests at 0.5 micrograms per 100 square centimeters or higher. Many states, such as Utah, Hawaii and Kentucky, put that limit at 0.1 micrograms.
QUEST tested hundreds of areas in the Boulder main library for meth contamination. Some of the significant findings included:
Boulder Main Library meth contamination test results
7.9 micrograms: Main level all-gender bathroom contact surfaces, including baby changing table
Over 75 micrograms: Main level all-gender restroom exhaust duct interiors, upper-level all-gender restroom exhaust ducts, upper level men's restroom exhaust ducts and contact surfaces
25 micrograms: Main level women's restroom ducts and surfaces
0.75 micrograms: Main level children's (family) large bathroom exhaust vent cover
1.2 micrograms: Main level children's (family) small bathroom exhaust vent cover
The library first started getting complaints about an odor in mid-September, according to the email exchange among library and city officers.
Officials called a HAZMAT team to the bathrooms, where custodial staff cleaned the restrooms in Tyvek suits, double gloves and respirators, according to the emails.
In late November, officials conducted a walk-through of the restrooms.
"It was the first time we really 'smelled fumes' and staff reported exposure," one staffer said. "It was also the day when two security guards and one staff person reported feeling ill from chemical fumes."
The staffer added: "At this time, we addressed it in earnest by closing down the facilities, calling the Hazmat team at the FD and creating a procedure for closing down the restrooms."
While many experts say health risks are low from secondary exposure in public spaces, infants and young children are most vulnerable to the risks of exposure, according to Arapahoe County Public Health, illuminating the added concern of residue found in children's bathrooms and on changing tables.
Breathing air or touching surfaces contaminated with meth residue is considered secondary exposure.
Symptoms of secondary meth exposure
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Dizziness
Headaches
Nausea
Skin irritation
Chemical burns
In one email exchange, a library official said he thought the incident in September, in which staffers smelled something, was a "one-off."
That month, suspensions of library credentials began to creep up. In previous months, the library suspended a few — between four and eight — and hardly any for drugs.
Then suspension cases jumped to 16 in October and hovered just below that number in the remaining months of the year.
The library also began suspending patrons for drug-related offenses — two in October, and seven each in November and December.
All told, the Boulder library reported 19 drug-related suspensions and four additional drug-related incidents that did not result in a suspension. The cases in the report did not include alcohol, marijuana or tobacco use incidents.
The suspension list illuminated on the kinds of troubles that library staffers faced, including drug dealing.
On Oct. 25, for example, a patron was suspended for "threatening staff after welfare check due to patron occupying restroom stall for 40+ minutes."
On Nov. 3, a patron was suspended for "disruptive behavior."
"A family using the library reported that patron offered marijuana to a child," the report said.
On Nov. 23, the staffer cleaning a bathroom overheard two people in one stall "discussing drugs" and "witnessed chemical smell of drugs being smoked."
A few days later, a patron was "recorded handing off drug paraphernalia to another patron."
Of the suspensions and incidents in the report, three specifically mentioned meth, while most of the others did not specify what drug was involved.
A report from Boulder Main Library shows the number of patrons who were suspended due to drug-related incidents in 2022.
QUEST, the company contracted by the city to test the library, initially went in on Dec. 12. After finding "amplified concentrations of meth," the company conducted additional meth sampling on Dec. 20 and Dec. 21.
All told, QUEST collected 99 samples from the library. Eleven of those samples exceeded the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment cleanup standard.
The report said that, in accordance with state regulation, all bathrooms, bathroom entry areas, associated ventilation systems and ducting, as well as the ground-level seating and booth area needed decontamination.
The report said the library's building-wide air supply and ventilation system did not test for meth residue in excess of the limit, but QUEST recommended all HVAC system areas be cleaned anyway due to several of the tests coming back with levels just below the limit.
Those places included a theater step, a ramp, benches, tables, a copier keypad, lamp, light switches, doors, computer mouse, keyboards, phone, refrigerator door handle, sink faucet, locker handle, washer controls, and floor carpet.
In an email obtained by The Denver Gazette, a worker at Boulder Main Library reported feeling ill after entering a restroom.
Boulder's main library is only one of several Denver-area libraries that have closed in the past few months for meth contamination. The issue extends beyond libraries, as well, with meth abuse and other drug use issues affecting grocery stores, public transportation hubs and other spaces.
RTD's Downtown Boulder Station closed its restrooms on Jan. 10 for meth decontamination.
Chris Howes, president of Colorado Retail Council, said the drug issue used to primarily affect downtown Denver, but it is starting to seep into the suburbs, as is evident in the closing of libraries in surrounding Denver areas.
