Winona Hospital is located at 3232 N Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN. It was once a full scale hospital located in the Center Township of Indianapolis. It has been abandoned since 2004 and came to the knowledge of EPA through Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) due to the presence of various chemicals and asbestos located in the basement labs of the building. On March 23, 2009 EPA OSC Crowley with START, IDEM and Marion County Health Department (MCHD) conducted a removal assessment of the former hospital.
The building having been abandoned for 5 years has been severely vandalized inside and out. The basement area of the building is where the labs and the morgue of the property were located. The labs still contain all of the chemicals once used at the facility. In addition, there are many other chemicals (flammables and corrosives), bio wastes, and even some old sphygmomometers containing mercury. Due to the chemical hazards present and the unfettered access to the property despite efforts to curtail this, and emergency response was initiated by the EPA OSC to remove the chemicals from the building.
On March 23, 2009 START, IDEM and EPA OSC conducted a site walkthrough to get a feel for the scope of the project. Once completed, START began to inventory the hospital beginning with the labs. By the end of the day, they had swept approximately two-thirds of the basement and the sub-basement.
As mentioned earlier an emergency response was initiated at the Winona Site. Environmental Restoration (ER) was mobilized to the Site on March 24, 2009. Once arriving, ER reviewed health and safety protocol and conducted a thorough site walkthrough. They then began to set up lighting in the basement and started to remove the chemicals from the labs to the first floor of the hospital. At the same time, START with assistance from IDEM continued to sweep the hospital for additional hazmat. At the end of the day, all but two floors of the hospital have been cleared.
The currently planned actions at the Site are to sweep the remainder of the building for any additional hazmat. Concurrently, ERRS will continue to remove hazmat and bio waste from any rooms containing them. They will then segregate the wastes into proper waste streams for bulking and disposal.
The building has no power and has been severely vandalized. Physical hazards from the damaged building will continue to pose a threat to workers.
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