MARQUETTE, MI— State and federal environmental officials visited Marquette Wednesday to see progress being made to clean up the former Cliffs-Dow site.
EGLE Director Phil Roos joined EPA Region 5 Administrator Anne Vogel and local leaders to assess cleanup efforts and discuss ongoing groundwater remediation.
Cleveland Cliffs Iron made charcoal at the 78-acre site beginning in 1902. By the 1930s, the company partnered with Dow Chemical to produce wood-derived chemicals. By the late 60s, the site was heavily contaminated with chemical waste.
In 2022, the City of Marquette, with an endorsement from EGLE, applied for and won a nearly $1 million EPA Brownfield Cleanup Grant to address contamination and outstanding environmental damage at the site. Officials say the site is now being restored with improved environmental conditions and new opportunities for public access, recreation, and economic growth.
