Politics & Government
Owner Of Twice-Sunken Barge Qualifies For Reduced Sentence After Relocating The Vessel
While Balcom is entitled to a reduced sentence, the Court has yet to amend its ruling, according to the department.
July 7, 2025
A barge that has twice sunk into Lake Michigan, has been successfully relocated, the Michigan Department of Attorney General announced Thursday, laying to rest years of environmental concerns and legal proceedings.
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The barge’s owner, Donald Lewis Balcom, 90, of Traverse City, pled guilty last April in the 13th Circuit Court in Leelanau County to one count of Water Resources Protection Violation for Discharge of Injurious Substances to Waters of the State, a two-year felony. The charge stemmed from an incident in November 2020, when the barge sank and released oil into Lake Michigan.
Under a deferred sentencing agreement, Balcom was given until June 27, 2025 to relocate the barge to a legal location, converting his felony conviction into a one count of Watercraft Pollution – Littering from Vessel, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 92 days in jail.
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According to a press release from Attorney General Dana Nessel. On June 23, the barge was moved to a legal location in West Grand Traverse Bay and has been partially dismantled over the past week. It no longer resides on the state-owned bottomlands of Lake Michigan.
“After years of environmental concerns and legal proceedings, I am pleased the barge has finally been moved and to announce the resolution of this case,” Nessel said in a statement. “We have made it abundantly clear that the bay cannot be treated as a personal junkyard. My department remains committed to working with the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to protect the Great Lakes whenever they come under threat.”
While Balcom is entitled to a reduced sentence, the Court has yet to amend its ruling, according to the department.
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