Missoula County staff on Jan. 20 presented an Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) for Marshall Mountain Park and launched a two‑week public comment period, with county staff and consultants identifying a preferred option that would abate hazardous materials, demolish select non‑historic structures and retain the base building for future renovation.

Cindy Kennedy, grants administrator with the county Department of Grants and Community Resources, summarized Phase I and II environmental site assessments performed in 2023 and said the county acquired three parcels at the site in March 2024. The Phase II work identified hazardous building materials in several base‑area structures, including lead‑based paint, asbestos in roofing and some interior materials, mercury‑containing light tubes and limited soil lead near the lower rope tow building.

Kennedy read a statement prepared by the environmental consultant Newfields about recreational safety: "Regular recreational use of Marshall Mountain will not put the public at risk of coming into contact with these potential hazardous building materials. These hazardous building materials are within nearly every building constructed before 1979, but rarely present a hazard to people living in the buildings...the hazardous building materials are only an issue if disturbed." The county said abatement will be carried out by licensed contractors under EPA and OSHA requirements, with third‑party oversight and air testing before reopening any areas.

County staff described five cleanup alternatives. The preferred alternative (Alternative 4) would abate asbestos and universal waste, remove lead‑containing fixtures in the base building, demolish or deconstruct the lodge with the clock tower and the rope tow base shack, and remove soil around the lower rope tow building; the base building would be retained for future renovation and public use. DEQ indicated it will provide EPA grant funds to cover abatement of hazardous building materials, with an estimated abatement cost of just under $38,000, but DEQ funds would not cover demolition or deconstruction costs.

DEQ consulted the State Historic Preservation Officer and concluded the site is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A for its landscape and association with local recreation history, while finding that existing non‑original structures do not themselves contribute to that significance. "Therefore, destruction of the main lodge or any other existing structures would not have an adverse effect on the NRHP eligibility of the site," county staff read from the SHPO consultation.

Jackson Lee, Marshall Mountain Park manager, said the cleanup planning aligns with a December 2023 master plan that had extensive public engagement and that Friends of Marshall Mountain and other partners are pursuing fundraising and EPA opportunities for redevelopment. Staff opened a public comment period through Jan. 23 and asked for written comments on the Missoula County Voice page or DEQ website.

No formal county action was taken at the hearing; the presentation launched the public comment period and identified the county's preferred cleanup alternative and funding parameters.