Category: SpringfieldMine

Oko Environmental traveled to Lansing on September 22 to attend a hearing of the Michigan Senate Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee on Senate Bill 1038, legislation aimed at reducing fugitive dust from facilities that store, handle, process and transport bulk solid materials. This bill was brought to my attention by aggregate mining expert and geologist

On September 14, 2026, Supervisor Ric Davis posted a “Levy Update” on the Springfield Township website regarding the pending Burroughs/Levy gravel mine application [View Levy Update Page]. The update reiterates that the application is still paused and the Township is waiting for Levy to provide further information requested, but it raised new questions & concerns

It’s official, we have crossed 502 days since Burroughs Materials Corporation/Edw. C. Levy Co. formally submitted its Special Land Use Permit and mining application to Springfield Township on April 29, 2025. A lot has happened since then. The proposed project would involve a large sand and gravel mining operation on the Ormond Road property, with

At its August 13 meeting, the Springfield Township Board postponed the first reading of the proposed mining ordinance amendments and opened a period for residents to submit public comments and suggestions. The form for public comment was made available to the public on the Township website on August 21 with a deadline of August 25.

On August 13, Springfield Township Environmental Protectors (STEP) submitted a formal letter asking the Township Board to immediately move the paused Levy/Burroughs Materials Corporation special land use application to a formal vote and reject it. In an accompanying letter, STEP’s attorney, Ryan Richardville, went further, stating that “denial of the application is warranted” in part

Springfield Township will consider significant changes to its Mining Control Ordinance at the Township Board meeting on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. The proposed amendments appear on the agenda for a first reading, meaning the Board is beginning its formal consideration of the changes. The proposed revisions would make substantial changes to how

I would like to sincerely thank the Rose Township Supervisor Brad Stilwell, Trustee Debra Bourdeau, and the Board of Trustees for inviting me to speak with residents about the proposed Levy/Burroughs Materials sand and gravel mine on Ormond Road. The presentation was part of Rose Township’s “Neighbor to Neighbor” meeting series, which creates an opportunity

At the July 28, 2026 Springfield Township Planning Commission meeting, each commissioner and the Carlisle|Wortman representatives in attendance received a letter from Oko Environmental requesting more complete monthly updates on the Levy/Burroughs Materials Corporation application. Current reports have provided little information beyond stating that revised application materials have not been submitted. Meanwhile, well installation, road

Oakland County approved permits for two groundwater-testing wells on the proposed Burroughs Materials Corporation/Levy mining property in December 2025. EGLE has now posted the completed record for the first observation well, providing new information about its construction, groundwater level and the underground materials encountered to a depth of 476 feet. The original permits, completed well

Today, as I was driving down Ormond Road admiring the scenic route, a flash of construction yellow caught my eye. A bulldozer had been delivered to the Ormond Road property. I stopped to confirm what I had seen and photographed the equipment from the roadway. Then I went on the hunt for more information on

Looking back over the past year, Springfield Township has gone through a lot of changes and shifts in how it handles large, controversial land-use proposals. It is no secret that the Township has not made this an easy process to follow along. Residents have endured hot meetings, both literally and metaphorically, with raised voices, interruptions,

After months of limited public communication about the proposed Levy/Burroughs Materials gravel mine on Ormond Road, there is finally a new update area on the Springfield Township website. A new Carlisle Wortman update page has been added under the Gravel Mine Application section of the Township website. As of now, the page includes three documents:

At the May 26, 2026 Springfield Township Planning Commission meeting, Township Planner Megan Masson-Minock of Carlisle Wortman provided the latest monthly update regarding the Levy/Burroughs Materials Corporation application for the proposed sand and gravel mine on Ormond Road. There does not appear to be any new substantive information from Levy/Burroughs at this time. On pages

Over the last two weeks, Springfield Township’s leadership structure has changed quickly. There is a lot happening and this is a long one, so I recommend you refill your drink and grab a snack. Here we go! Here is a snap shot: Timeline Overview & Documentation According to statements made at the May 18, 2026

Springfield Township has approved the creation of a temporary township Superintendent position while Supervisor Ric Davis remains on leave from in-person township duties. The decision came after township officials discussed how day-to-day operations would continue during Davis’s absence. According to discussion at the meeting, Davis notified the township that he would be out for an

Oko Environmental recently confirmed Supervisor Ric Davis’s leave of absence after submitting a FOIA request to Springfield Township. The township clerk provided a prompt response. The document, received through Oko’s FOIA, is a May 11, 2026 email from Supervisor Davis to the Township Board. In that email, Davis stated that he is taking a leave

At the April 28, 2026 Springfield Township Planning Commission meeting, the proposed Levy/Burroughs Materials sand and gravel mine appeared under “Communication” as “Levy Updates and Project Status.” The main update was the introduction of Megan Masson-Minock, AICP, of Carlisle/Wortman Associates. Carlisle/Wortman has been authorized by the Township Board to act as Project Manager for the

Several Springfield Township residents and STEP members attended the Board of County Road Commissioners- Oakland County public meeting on April 23, 2026 to speak during public comment and oppose any reclassification of Ormond Road related to the proposed Levy/Burroughs Materials sand and gravel mine. I attended the meeting through my work with Oko Environmental and

After several local township residents reached out to Oko Environmental reporting ongoing construction at the site of the proposed Levy/Burroughs Materials mine on Ormond Road, I took a drive to check out the site and equipment. Based on observations and photos shared among neighbors, plus previous emails from Reuben Maxbauer (Levy) to Ric Davis, this

Newly released FOIA records from the Road Commission for Oakland County add important detail to what many Springfield Township residents have long suspected: Levy is working with RCOC to reclassify Ormond Road from a Class B to a Class A, All Seasons Designated road. The emails show direct coordination with RCOC about what would be