Restoring Marquette’s waterfront: A new chapter for the former Cliffs-Dow site

For decades, Marquette’s shoreline was home to the Cliffs-Dow site, a once-bustling industrial operation that left behind contamination, chemical waste and lingering environmental concerns. Today, thanks to nearly $1 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and support from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), that same site is being restored to a clean, safe and accessible space for the community.

On June 18, 2025, EGLE Director Phil Roos and EPA Region 5 Administrator Anne Vogel visited Marquette alongside city leaders, state officials and federal partners to tour the 78-acre site and highlight the progress of ongoing remediation efforts. The visit marks an important step in the ongoing work to revitalize the land.

“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.”