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EPA to demolish Penrose funeral home at center of improper storage investigation on Jan. 17

Roughly 190 bodies were removed from the Return to Nature funeral home in Penrose, Colorado, in early October, according to authorities.

A sign covers the broken back window of the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colo., Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. The remains of at least 189 decaying bodies were found and removed from the Colorado funeral home.  (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
A sign covers the broken back window of the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colo., Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. The remains of at least 189 decaying bodies were found and removed from the Colorado funeral home. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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The southern Colorado funeral home at the center of an improper storage investigation will be demolished on January 17, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Monday.

The agency’s Emergency Response team will handle to demolition. Hazardous materials contractors will mobilize at the site on Jan. 17, and demolition will take roughly 10 days, weather permitting, according to the EPA.

In early October, neighbors reported a foul odor near the Return to Nature funeral home in Penrose, located 33 miles south of Colorado Springs. Investigators entered the 2,500-square-foot building on Oct. 4 and made a “horrific” discovery.

Authorities initially said 115 bodies were allegedly improperly stored in the funeral home. In an update, Fremont County officials said at least 189 bodies were removed from the funeral home and transported to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.

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