LANSING (WWJ) – A Traverse City man has been charged with a felony and several misdemeanors for allegedly abandoning a barge that leaked oil into Lake Michigan.
Donald Balcom, the owner of Balcom Marine Contractors, allegedly first abandoned the barge in 2020 on Lake Michigan bottomlands near Greilickville, Michigan, according to Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office.
The barge became partially submerged and released oil into the waters of Lake Michigan.
State and federal authorities intervened in May 2021 and Balcom agreed to tow the barge to a proper location, but then allegedly abandoned it again directly in front of a residential property off the shore of Northport, according to the AG’s office.
The barge sank on Lake Michigan bottomlands close to shore, approximately 20 feet from the end of a residential dock.
“The Great Lakes are treasured natural resources that are central to our way of life in Michigan,” Nessel said, per a press release. “They are not a dumping ground or a junkyard for abandoned vessels. I will always take action to protect the Great Lakes from the threat of pollution, and to preserve them for future generations.”
The charges against Balcom – brought by the Attorney General’s environmental crimes unit == include a felony for the release of hazardous substances (oil) to waters of the state, as well as misdemeanors for trespassing, marine safety violations, and placement of fill material (the barge) on Great Lakes submerged lands without a permit.
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