$4 million sought from EPA to remove toxic ‘Mount Marysville.’ ‘Hope it works.’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Marysville seeks nearly $4M EPA Brownfields grant to remove toxic demolition mound.
- Debris capped with gunite contains asbestos and lead; soil and groundwater risks unknown.
- City prefers full removal, testing and redevelopment plans to restore downtown activity.
When “Mount Marysville” will disappear depends on who will pay to haul it away.
Marysville officials, after paying to demolish the historic Hotel Marysville and bury its remains in concrete spray, want help with the anticipated multimillion-dollar cost to rid downtown of it.
Next week officials plan to apply for nearly $4 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to remove the mound known locally as “Mount Marysville,” and rehabilitate the corner lot where a hotel bearing the city’s namesake once stood.
Mount Marysville, encapsulating most of the debris created by the demolition of the fire-ravaged hotel, contains materials with lead and asbestos that may complicate its removal. The full extent of toxins at the site is unknown, as surveyors were unable to measure all the environmental effects as the mound blocks access to the hotel basement, soil and groundwater.
Jeramy Chapdelaine, Marysville public works director, told city council members Tuesday that the grant application has another round of edits before being sent to the EPA next week. The deadline is next Wednesday, according to the EPA.
“Cross the ‘T’s, dot the ‘I’s, cross your fingers and hope it works,” said Mayor Chris Branscum.
EPA program helps communities clear hazardous materials
The federal grants administered through the EPA Brownfields Program range from $500,000 to $4 million, with the city’s ask for more than $3.9 million hitting the high end of that range. The program helps communities clear land that could be developed of hazardous substances and pollutants.
The city missed its opportunity to receive a grant from the same grant program last year, and have worked to meet the requirements for what they hope to be a multimillion-dollar lifeline.
Jim Schaad, Marysville city manager, said that the EPA selections are expected around June, and that awards would likely follow in September or October. Based on that timeline, if awarded, the city would target early to mid-2027 for removing the pile of rubble.
“It’s a very competitive grant,” he said.
The city took ownership of the property while the hollowed-out brick landmark remained upright, following a legal battle with the property’s owners in the months after a fire tore through the building in June 2024. That December the city, with money received in the legal settlement, paid to demolish the hotel, a centerpiece of downtown Marysville in its day that had gone unoccupied for more than 40 years.
But the city’s funds fell short of the steep cost to remove the pile of rubble, which has remained covered in a concrete spray called gunite in the heart of downtown for more than a year.
Environmental concerns
Environmental analysis after the fire determined that asbestos inside the building was likely released into the surrounding area due to the fire that destroyed the building. Surveyors also noted the potential for petroleum to enter soil and groundwater from a boiler and oil tank historically used in the hotel basement, according to the grant application.
“Children, seniors, and individuals with respiratory conditions are particularly at risk from airborne contaminants and accidental exposures,” the city wrote. “EPA Cleanup Grant funding is essential to eliminate these threats, safeguarding the most vulnerable community members.”
The hotel basement and foundation remain beneath the mound of debris. Testing done last month was limited due to the nature of the concrete pile, and the basement could not be reached for sampling.
The company that tested the mound found that its presence was not an “immediate threat,” according to the application, but recommended more testing once the mound is removed to assess the soil and groundwater beneath the pile.
Of the clean-up options detailed in its application, the city prefers a plan that removes the pile and basement foundation, then samples the soil and groundwater to find out whether further work is needed to mitigate toxins.
The city estimated the cost of removing the debris and further testing of the site at more than $3.9 million.
Marysville officials have also worked with the late U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s office on a $3.5 million federal grant, subject to congressional approval, to pay for the project if the EPA denies the city’s application, Schaad said.
What happens next?
City officials, per requirements of the federal grant they seek, have tried pulling the public into the decision-making process behind what to do with the city-owned lot once cleared.
The city has plans for housing and commercial space at the property to revitalize the hard-hit downtown area burdened first by the abandoned hotel then the pile of debris.
“The site’s position along the Highway 70 gateway amplifies its visual and psychological impact, reinforcing perceptions of decline and deterring business activity in the city’s historic core,” the city wrote in its application.
Representatives from Habitat for Humanity, Yuba Water Agency and Adventist Health have talked with city officials about the property’s future, according to the grant application.
No one from the public spoke before city council members at the meeting Tuesday. Chapdelaine said that the city would include additional public comments received before submitting the application next week.
