Montana Rail Link Triangle Voluntary Cleanup Plan

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Consultation on the site cleanup has concluded.  For additional information about the MRL Triangle, see our North MRL Triangle Future Uses project.

Summer 2022

The City of Missoula Brownfields Program is working with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to delist the Montana Rail Link (MRL) Triangle property at 1930 South Avenue West as a low priority State Superfund facility. The MRL Triangle is a 11.4-acre triangular-shaped City-owned property along the Bitterroot railroad corridor in Urban Renewal District III in Ward 4.

The City acquired the property from MRL in 2017 at a generously discounted price and quickly completed construction of the southern portion of the property as a city park in 2019 (MRL Park), providing needed green space for the Franklin-to-the-Fort neighborhood.

To cleanup and fully reuse State Superfund facilities, DEQ uses the Voluntary Cleanup Redevelopment Act (VCRA) process which permits and encourages voluntary cleanup of facilities. The cleanup and delisting of the property would assure continued use of the southern portion of MRL Triangle as a city park and allow redevelopment of the underutilized northern portion known as the Johnson Street Property.

Risk evaluations in the City's Voluntary Cleanup Plan (VCP) indicate that the residual contaminants of concern in the soil do not pose an unacceptable risk to human health and the environment based on unrestricted property use for the northern portion (with the exception of one storm drain), and recreational use for the southern portion. The VCP proposed excavation and offsite disposal at a permitted landfill of arsenic-contaminated soils from the base of one storm drain on the northern portion, and placement of institutional controls limiting use of the southern portion to recreational use (prohibits residential use).

Recent news:

On March 15, 2025, DEQ issued a letter indicating the City of Missoula's petition of delisting and Facility closure is approved which can be viewed here.

On January 30, 2025, DEQ issued a letter indicating that the VCP was successfully completed which can be viewed here.

On January 13, 2025, the City prepared a Construction Completion Report which can be viewed here.

On November 18, 2024, the City Council authorized an agreement with the Missoula Valley Water Quality District for use of Monitoring Well - 4 at MRL Park, which can be viewed here. See Council meeting minutes here.

On October 7, 2024, the City Council authorized institutional controls at MRL Park, which can be viewed here. See Council meeting minutes here.

Next Steps:

The Missoula Redevelopment Agency has engaged a contractor to explore community priorities and redevelopment feasibility for the North MRL Triangle 8-acre parcel. See a new EngageMissoula page here.

The cleanup of the MRL Triangle is being funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 Brownfields Program, and in part, using tax increment financing from the Missoula Redevelopment Agency (MRA).

The City of Missoula Brownfields Program is working with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to delist the Montana Rail Link (MRL) Triangle property at 1930 South Avenue West as a low priority State Superfund facility. The MRL Triangle is a 11.4-acre triangular-shaped City-owned property along the Bitterroot railroad corridor in Urban Renewal District III in Ward 4.

The City acquired the property from MRL in 2017 at a generously discounted price and quickly completed construction of the southern portion of the property as a city park in 2019 (MRL Park), providing needed green space for the Franklin-to-the-Fort neighborhood.

To cleanup and fully reuse State Superfund facilities, DEQ uses the Voluntary Cleanup Redevelopment Act (VCRA) process which permits and encourages voluntary cleanup of facilities. The cleanup and delisting of the property would assure continued use of the southern portion of MRL Triangle as a city park and allow redevelopment of the underutilized northern portion known as the Johnson Street Property.

Risk evaluations in the City's Voluntary Cleanup Plan (VCP) indicate that the residual contaminants of concern in the soil do not pose an unacceptable risk to human health and the environment based on unrestricted property use for the northern portion (with the exception of one storm drain), and recreational use for the southern portion. The VCP proposed excavation and offsite disposal at a permitted landfill of arsenic-contaminated soils from the base of one storm drain on the northern portion, and placement of institutional controls limiting use of the southern portion to recreational use (prohibits residential use).

Recent news:

On March 15, 2025, DEQ issued a letter indicating the City of Missoula's petition of delisting and Facility closure is approved which can be viewed here.

On January 30, 2025, DEQ issued a letter indicating that the VCP was successfully completed which can be viewed here.

On January 13, 2025, the City prepared a Construction Completion Report which can be viewed here.

On November 18, 2024, the City Council authorized an agreement with the Missoula Valley Water Quality District for use of Monitoring Well - 4 at MRL Park, which can be viewed here. See Council meeting minutes here.

On October 7, 2024, the City Council authorized institutional controls at MRL Park, which can be viewed here. See Council meeting minutes here.

Next Steps:

The Missoula Redevelopment Agency has engaged a contractor to explore community priorities and redevelopment feasibility for the North MRL Triangle 8-acre parcel. See a new EngageMissoula page here.

The cleanup of the MRL Triangle is being funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 Brownfields Program, and in part, using tax increment financing from the Missoula Redevelopment Agency (MRA).