The Site
includes the remains of a former hospital/antique mall and an abandoned residence. Both buildings were damaged by multiple fires and now
contain burned debris and asbestos-containing material (ACM).
A major fire damaged the former hospital in October
2023. After that Huerfano County
Economic Development Inc (HCED) used an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Brownfields Assessment Grant to begin the clean up process of the Site. Phase I and Phase II
Environmental Site Assessments completed in 2025 found ACM on the property.
The property was donated by the private landowner to
Huerfano County on January 22, 2026. Since then, the residence behind the old
hospital has caught fire twice, on May 6, 2026, and May 22, 2026.
The County hoped to apply for an additional EPA Brownfields
Cleanup Grant to help cover the cost of cleanup. However, HCED estimated that
cleaning up the former hospital and asbestos in the residence would cost about
$500,000, including cleanup work, planning, engineering, and required
paperwork. This is more than the County and City can afford, so they have not
been able to clean up the Site without grant funding.
In July 2026, the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment (CDPHE) requested that EPA Region 8 consider a removal action to
address the ACM and debris.
