Taco Bell involved with meth lab to get second cleaning

CEDAR RAPIDS — County officials recommended further cleaning of a Cedar Rapids Taco Bell where a meth lab was discovered Tuesday morning.

The restaurant at 2621 Blairs Ferry Road NE was the site of a meth lab operated by a Taco Bell employee for an undetermined amount of time, according to Cedar Rapids police.

The Linn County Public Health determined the interior of the site needs further cleaning after an environmental company tasked with sanitizing the area submitted an analysis showing the results of toxicities were higher than U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-recommended amounts.

While Iowa doesn't have a state law determining standards for meth lab cleanups, the IPHD is following the standards of other states as a measure, said James Hodina, environmental public health manager with the department.

Results submitted by the cleanup company showed levels 'just above' the recommended level, Hodina said.

The analysis showed traces of chemicals in the utility room where the meth lab is suspected to have been, as well as in the ventilation ducts of the restaurant, he added.

The restaurant could be ready to open after a second cleaning sometime next week, Hodina said.

According to a criminal complaint released Wednesday, police found an 'active' lab with fuel, lye, drain cleaner and other items used to make meth. Also found were one or two grams of meth at the scene, the complaint said.

The records do not state where the lab was found inside the restaurant, but a police spokesman said remnants of the lab were found in a utility room.

Police apprehended Taco Bell employee Christopher A. Matous, 31, and another individual early Tuesday morning after receiving reports of suspicious people being seen outside the restaurant.

Matous was charged with manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and three counts of possession of meth precursors. The other person was not charged.