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Downtown Mountain Metropolitan Transit terminal meth testing comes back positive

Posted at 2:49 PM, May 12, 2023
and last updated 2023-05-12 16:49:32-04

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — The City of Colorado Springs confirmed Friday that the Mountain Metropolitan Transit's Downtown Terminal tested positive for methamphetamine contamination.

In a press release, Elaine Sheridan a Senior Public Communications Specialist with Mountain Metro Transit, confirmed that the contamination levels exceed cleanup standards set by the State of Colorado.

MMT says they will be hiring a remediation contractor certified by the state to conduct the cleanup process. The facility is going to be tested again following the decontamination process to ensure contamination levels are safe, there is no timeline for when this work will be completed.

There is no information regarding the cost of the clean-ups at this time, as this will come after the decontamination contractor provides an estimate of what work needs to be done.

“Mountain Metro is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for its riders, drivers, and staff,” said Acting Transit Services Manager Lan Rao. “We are working closely with El Paso County Public Health on this matter.”

The downtown terminal closed shortly after a security guard fell ill unexpectedly after doing a routine search of the bathrooms.

When asked what MMT was doing to prevent another closure they told News5 that while they are going to do everything they can to prevent this from happening again, they can't guarantee that it won't. Efforts by MMT include looking into chemical sensor devices that will alert staff of contamination and maintaining the current policy of only allowing riders, staff, and drivers into the restrooms.
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