The Ormond Road Mine: What You Need to Know
*This information is subject to change as the current application is under review by independent experts. The information provided is from the current and only application submitted for the property as of September 21, 2025. All of this information is available from the Springfield Township website and Oko Environmental website.
WHAT is being proposed? A sand & gravel mine. The main marketable material is 2NS construction-grade sand.
WHEN was it proposed to the Township? Levy/Burroughs Materials submitted their Special Land Use Permit and site plan application to Springfield Township in May 2025. The application was formally reviewed at the May 27, 2025 Planning Commission meeting, following the Township’s receipt of a “Site Plan & Special Land Use Review” document dated May 19, 2025.
WHERE is it being proposed? The proposed area is on the west side of Ormond Road between French Lane and Big Lake Road in Davisburg, Springfield Township, Michigan.
How LARGE will this mine be? While the project site is +/- 422 acres, the project description states that +/- 238 acres are “within the mining area”. The remaining +/- 184 acres are located in preservation areas called the ‘Resource Protection Overlay District’.
Is this area ZONED for mining? This area is zoned R-1A, which DOES allow for companies to apply for a Special Land Use Permit for mining operations. Currently, Levy owns the property which is what allows them to apply for a Special Land Use Permit for mining operations.
WHO is proposing the mining operation? Burroughs Material Corporation (BMC)
Who is Burroughs Material Corporation (BMC)? The BMC is a DBA (Doing Business As) corporation for the Falcon Trucking Company. The Falcon Trucking Company is owned & operated by the Edw. C. Levy Company.
Edw. C. Levy Company Main Office location: 9300 Dix Avenue, Dearborn, MI 48120
WHAT will they be doing? BMC is proposing a ‘wet-mining’ operation to extract glacial stone, gravel, and sand, sometimes referred to as ‘Glacial Till’. They will clean, sort, and grind excavated material. Then, BMC will use gravel trains to move it to other sites.
How many TRIPS will the gravel trains be making? The BMC application states that 80 empty gravel trains and 80 loaded gravel trains will travel to and from the site each day, totaling 160 trips.
What are the proposed operating hours? According to the application:
- The mine will run approximately from April 1 – November 30 each year.
- The mine will be in operation from 6 am to 8 pm, Monday through Saturday, during daylight savings time (Second Sunday in March to First Sunday in November).
- The mine will be in operation from 6 am to 7 pm, Monday through Saturday outside of daylight savings time
- The mine will seek advanced authorization from the Township Supervisor (or their designee) to operate on Sundays and Holidays.
What is ‘wet-mining’? **General explanation: Wet mining is a type of surface mining that occurs below the natural groundwater table. Excavation below the water table intersects the aquifer, causing groundwater to flow into the pit. The mining processing happens in and under groundwater level to extract and wash sand & gravel.
Steps in the process:
- Excavation begins above the water table (like open-pit mining).
- Once the pit floor reaches the groundwater/aquifer, the area fills with water.
- Heavy equipment or dredges remove sand and gravel from beneath the water surface.
- Dredges may use suction pumps, draglines, or bucket systems.
- The extracted material is transported to a processing plant where it is washed, sorted, and sized.
- The mined pit usually remains as a permanent pond or lake, since it is below the water table.
Will they pump water from the aquifer? Yes. The application states that they will pump 22,000 gallons per operational day for processing and filling.
How MUCH is mined? BMC estimates 15,000,000 tons of marketable material will be extracted from the 238 +/- acres over 20 years. The BMC has a plan of 5 phases.
- Phase 1: 44 acres
- Phase 2: 50 acres
- Phase 3: 45 acres
- Phase 4: 44 acres
- Phase 5: 49 acres
Can the township DENY the permit? That is a good question with a very long, complicated, gray-area answer that usually ends up giving us more questions than answers. But let’s dig in…
The aggregate mining industry is a powerful multi-billion dollar industry. Michigan, the US, and the world uses aggregate material for many different projects necessary for construction, roadways, and more. Michigan is one of the largest producers of aggregate material in the country. The good news for the aggregate mining industry is that there is a lot of material on the planet still available for mining. According to the 2024 USGS commodities report, there is no shortage of material for mining and the market price per ton is at record highs. The bad news for aggregate mining industries is that, in some areas, there have been long-lasting negative impacts as a result of large mining operations. This has prompted nearby residents to raise concerns, take on the challenge of learning about aggregate mining, and begin the difficult work of attending meetings, forming community groups, and asking tough but important questions. The industry has seen local communities and governments pushing back against the proposed sites when it could potentially negatively impact the health and quality of human life and the environment.
It is important to know that BMC/Levy purchased the land and has been leasing it to farmers for several decades. They are 100% allowed to mine if NO VERY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES (VSC) would result from the mining process. According to the ‘Michigan Zoning Enabling Act’, the township cannot deny the mine for any reason other than if VSC would result.
What are the legal grounds for ‘Very Serious Consequences’?
Aggregate mining in Michigan is under the umbrella of ‘Agriculture’. It is allowed under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act:
The following interpretations of the “very serious consequences” standard are provided for educational and informational purposes only. They are intended to help community members better understand the basic language used in Michigan law. These materials do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. For legal questions or guidance on how the VSC test applies to any specific situation, please consult a qualified attorney.
Basic & generalized interpretations of VSC:
- (a) If evidence exists that the operation is incompatible with the existing community character, etc.
- (b) If evidence exists that the operation would negatively impact neighbors and property uses on a measurable scale.
- (c) If evidence exists that the operation would negatively impact property values surrounding the mine and haul routes
- (d) If evidence exists that the operation will make roads around the site and along the haul routes unsafe for drivers, school buses, cyclists, and pedestrians.
- (e) If evidence exists that the operation could harm the community’s people, environment, or quality of life.
- (f) If evidence exists that the operation does not align with the public’s best interest and/or the potential harms to the community outweigh the benefits.
WHEN will this happen? As of July 2025, Springfield Township Supervisor Ric Davis paused the Levy/Burroughs application to allow for a “thorough, professional review” before moving forward.
This summary represents only a small portion of the vast amount of information that is publicly available on this issue. These are just some of the basics. Oko Environmental is glad to share additional details upon request and is available for phone calls, meetings, or community discussions at NO COST. Donations are always appreciated to help us continue this work.
EMAIL: contact@okoenv.com
PHONE: 248-483-0183
