Today, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) Director Phil Roos joined U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 Administrator Anne Vogel, state and local leaders in Marquette to see firsthand the progress being made to clean up the former Cliffs-Dow site and discuss ongoing groundwater remediation. The Cliffs-Dow site revitalization effort is supported by an EPA Brownfield Cleanup Grant.
“The transformation of the former Cliffs-Dow site is a powerful example of what’s possible when local vision meets state and federal partnership,” said EGLE Director Phil Roos. “While making the long-standing vision for the former Cliffs-Dow site a reality, the EPA’s Brownfield Cleanup Grant is restoring the land, protecting the water and creating new opportunities for the Marquette community. This kind of collaboration moves us closer to a cleaner and safer future, across Michigan.”
In 2022, the City of Marquette, with an endorsement from EGLE, applied for and won the nearly $1 million EPA Brownfield Cleanup Grant to address contamination and outstanding environmental damage at the site.
“The partnership between the City of Marquette and EGLE is essential to making sure the Cliffs-Dow site is properly remediated, and its history of contamination is fully addressed,” said Mayor Jessica Hanley. “This effort reflects Marquette’s deep connection to our natural environment and our shared commitment to restoring the health of this lakeshore for generations to come. We are hopeful about what the future holds for this site once cleanup is complete, and excited to see the possibilities it will bring to our community.”
The 78-acre former Cliffs-Dow site was covered by wetlands before industrial use began in 1902. Cleveland Cliffs Iron (CCI) first made charcoal at the site. By the 1930s, the company partnered with Dow Chemical to produce wood-derived chemicals. After operations ended in the late 1960s, most buildings were demolished and the site was heavily contaminated with chemical waste, resulting in environmental damage and odors. The site is now being restored with improved environmental conditions and new opportunities for public access, recreation and economic growth, like the city’s “living revetment” project on the adjacent shoreline to prevent further erosion, restore the area to a more natural appearance, and provide public amenities such as a boardwalk overlook and walking paths.
“Marquette County’s rich iron resources drove the American economy for decades,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Anne Vogel. “Along with EPA’s recent investment of $400,000, we are excited to work closely with our state and local partners to energize their community once again.”
Since 2019, EGLE’s Brownfield Program has created over 19,000 jobs and turned 402 contaminated or abandoned sites into productive spaces, backed by more than $160 million in investments and $7.3 billion in private investments.
Lead line replacement, cleaning up contamination, increasing government transparency and strengthening the state’s energy infrastructure are a few of the priorities represented in Governor Whitmer’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget. EGLE’s portion of the proposed budget includes $30 million for water infrastructure, $50 million for lead service line replacement and more than $5 million for drinking water safeguards.
For more information on EGLE’s Brownfield Redevelopment Program, visit Michigan.gov/EGLEBrownfields.