Fremont County and EPA finding new dumping site for Penrose Funeral Home demolition

FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - More than two months have passed since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) originally stated the Return to Nature funeral home in Penrose would be demolished, the agency says that they are still working to secure a disposal location for the materials.

In a statement to KRDO13, the EPA explains that their agency and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) had initially sought an agreement with the City of Pueblo, which came to light in late January.

Now, the EPA says that access to the City of Pueblo’s landfill was not granted.

Although a formal application requesting a modification to the Southside Landfill’s Cerificate of Designation was not submitted by Waste Connection, pre-application queries from EPA and Waste Connections led to initial discussion with City staff. After careful consideration and evaluation of the information provided by EPA and Waste Connections as well as review of the issues raised during the public feedback period, the City is deeply concerned about the potential adverse effects that disposal of contaminated building debris may have on properties in the vicinity of the landfill.

City of Pueblo

In that proposed agreement, the City anticipated that Southside Landfill would accept the demolished building materials. A spokesperson for the landfills ownership, Wasteful Connections, says that they are a certified landfill to work with the EPA and that for several weeks, they were waiting for the 'green light' to begin work with the demolition team.

Now the EPA says it is "working diligently" with the CDPHE and Fremont County to identify another location to take the demolited building materials. The EPA says it expects to select a landfill and begin demolition and removal operations in the coming weeks.

In talking with Fremont County Commissioner Kevin Grantham, KRDO13 was told that they do have a location lined up but did not say where.

Grantham says he would be surprised if demolition hasn't begun by early April. He also noted that they considered the Fremont County landfill but were met with hesitation due to the contamination of the building.