Donald Balcom, the business owner associated with a barge known for repeatedly sinking in local waters, was arraigned on criminal charges this week for allegedly abandoning his marine vessel near Northport. The arraignment comes several weeks after Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that her office would charge Balcom with numerous offenses “over his abandonment of an industrial barge in the waters of Lake Michigan off the coast of Leelanau County.”

In May, the Leelanau Ticker reported on the saga of a barge that has been sitting off the shores of Northport for the better part of two years. The craft, which is owned by Balcom and his business Balcom Marine Contractors, previously sank near Greilickville in 2020, leaking pollutants into the water and prompting citations from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). In May 2021, Balcom towed the barge away from Greilickville, but had soon anchored it near Northport, directly in front of a residential property. The barge has been there ever since.

The 88-year-old Balcom appeared virtually for his arraignment on Tuesday, July 11, which took place within the 86th District Court system. There, Balcom was formally charged with seven different counts, including a felony for violating Michigan’s water protection laws. That violation relates to the allegation that Balcom allowed oil and other contaminants to spill into Lake Michigan by allowing his barge to sink beneath the surface. Other charges include misdemeanors for trespassing, altering Lake Michigan bottomlands, littering, and failing to post contact information for himself or his business on the hull of the barge.

If convicted of some or all charges, Balcom could face thousands of dollars of fines. As of now, Balcom’s barge is still floating off the shores of a private residential neighborhood in Northport.

Pictured: A shot of the barge from spring 2021, when it was partially submerged near Greilickville (Credit: Chris Roxburgh)