At the request of Huerfano County and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 (EPA) is leading an effort to remediate the Old Hospital/Nursing Home facility at the corner of 7th & Albert in Walsenburg. This work is expected to continue through the end of October 2026.
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 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 CDPHE requested that EPA Region 8 consider a removal action to address the ACM and debris.
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