(PENROSE, Colo.) — The Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose where nearly 200 improperly stored bodies were discovered in October will be demolished in January, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Following a Public Health Order in November, Fremont County and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) requested that the EPA conduct a “removal action,” which includes demolishing and disposing of building materials.

An EPA team and contractors visited the site in November to conduct an assessment of the building, and wore protective clothing to protect them from any residual medical or hazardous materials remaining inside the building.

In an update, the EPA said it has determined that “demolition of the building is necessary to safely remove biological and hazardous materials found in the building.” The EPA said it is in the process of developing a plan to conduct the demolition in January 2024.

Jon and Carie Hallford, the owners of Return to Nature, were arrested in November in Wagoner, Oklahoma, on suspicion of committing the crimes of abuse of a corpse, theft, money laundering and forgery, all of which are felonies. They have since been extradited to Colorado, and a judge advised at a hearing on Nov. 24 that Jon Hallford is currently facing 200 felony charges.

Aside from the criminal charges, the Hallfords are also facing at least one class-action lawsuit in connection to the treatment of the remains, some of which have been at the facility for four years, according to a federal affidavit that’s under seal in Colorado but available in Oklahoma. Some bodies had 2019 death dates, according to the document.

The EPA did not specify an exact date of demolition or delineate how long the work would take, but assured the public that details of the demolition process, safety measures, and timeframe would be shared publicly once procedures are finalized.