AG charges owner of barge abandoned in Lake Michigan

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Thursday announced criminal charges against the owner of an industrial barge authorities said remains abandoned in Lake Michigan.

Nessel alleges Donald Lewis Balcom of Traverse City, who owns Balcom Marine Contractors, first abandoned the barge in 2020 on Lake Michigan bottomlands near Greilickville, Michigan. The barge became partially submerged and released oil into the lake, Nessel's office said in a statement.

"In May of 2021, after state and federal authorities intervened, Balcom agreed to tow the barge to a proper location, but then abandoned it again directly in front of a residential property off the shore of Northport," according to the release.

The barge then sank on Lake Michigan bottomlands close to shore, approximately 20 feet from the end of a residential dock, state officials said.

“The Great Lakes are treasured natural resources that are central to our way of life in Michigan,” Nessel said. “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.”

MLive.com reported last month the barge had refloated.

Balcom could not be reached for comment Thursday night.

The Attorney General’s Office environmental crimes unit has charged him with a felony for releasing hazardous substances into state waters as well as misdemeanors for trespass, marine safety violations and placing fill material on Great Lakes submerged lands without a permit.