DAGGET TWNSHP, Mich. (WZMQ) – What began as a small side business in rural Daggett Township eventually turned into one of the Upper Peninsula’s largest illegal electronic waste sites, and now, after years of complaints, it’s finally been cleaned up.
According to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), the property belonged to an elderly veteran who collected old electronics to strip for scrap metal. Because of how few recycling options exist in rural Michigan, over time, residents from across the area dropped off televisions, appliances, and computers. Eventually, the piles stretched along the road and into the yard, including hundreds of cathode-ray tube TVs, which contain lead.
After a 2020 house fire took the life of the Dagget Township man and left melted plastics, broken glass, and hazardous debris, the site sat untouched for years. EGLE recycling specialist Steve Noble said contamination concerns and the risk of more illegal dumping prompted the department to seek special funding for cleanup. A contractor removed hazardous materials, recycled what they could, and hauled the rest to approved disposal sites this spring.
“We knew there was some contamination present, and we needed to remove it so it didn’t get spread into the environment. The property is located near a seasonal stream, and in the spring, snowmelt runs into nearby waterways.” Noble said. “While we never documented contamination moving off-site, removing the hazardous material was the only way to make sure it wouldn’t.”
Noble says last year alone, U.P. recycling programs collected nearly 200,000 pounds of electronics for proper disposal. Today, ten permanent drop-off locations and seasonal collection events are available to residents to help prevent similar situations in the future.
A small amount of broken glass remains on the Daggett Township property, but the majority of hazards are gone, and EGLE hopes the site’s transformation will discourage others from using it as a dumping ground.
EGLE is sponsoring two donation events in Calumet and Houghton this weekend.
- Calumet
- Friday, August 15th | 10 AM – 2 PM
- Xpress Storage, Parking Lot (Next to Pat’s Foods)
- 56835 Station Drive, Calumet, MI
- $5 per vehicle
- Houghton
- Saturday, August 16th | 10 AM – 2 PM
- Xpress Storage, Back Parking Lot (Copper Country Mall)
- 47420 M-26, Houghton, MI
- $5 per vehicle
(Businesses can be invoiced separately for delivered materials)
You can find more information on the Copper Country Recycling Initiative Facebook Page.
