(PENROSE, Colo.) — A date has been determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the demolition of the Return to Nature Funeral Home, where nearly 200 bodies were discovered improperly stored in October, as well as a plan for safe demolition.

Following an assessment in November, the EPA determined the demolition would be necessary “to safely remove all medical, biological, and hazardous materials found in the building.” The EPA said the cleanup will be conducted under the direction of its Emergency Response personnel and trained hazardous materials contractors. 

“To initiate this cleanup, EPA is drafting a work plan and anticipate our contractors and their crews will begin mobilization to the site around January 17, 2024,” the EPA said in an update.

The EPA said one of the initial stages of demolition will include the spraying of a disinfectant and odor suppressant in the interior of the building before contractors begin demolishing the building from the top down. The EPA said during the process, contractors would work to keep the demolition inside the foundation footprint, and that water and other liquid solutions would be used for dust suppression, but not in quantities that would result in runoff or contamination.

The EPA said once demolition is complete and materials are loaded onto trucks, the building foundation will be removed and a shallow surface scrape will be conducted to remove the soil footprints of the building. Materials and soils will be taken to a landfill, in accordance with EPA landfill regulations and requirements.

Weather permitting, the EPA expects the demolition process to take about 10 days.