U.S. Forest Service Issues Final Record of Decision for South32 Hermosa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) today released the Final Record of Decision (ROD) for the “Hermosa Critical Minerals Project”, which completes the federal NEPA process needed for the project’s ancillary infrastructure development on National Forest Service land following years of environmental study, public input, Tribal and interagency consultation.

NEPA process completion paves the way for South32 to fully develop the project beyond its privately held land, including building ancillary infrastructure such as a primary access road, a secondary dry-stack tailings facility, and allowing utility UNSE (UniSource Energy Services) to build a portion of an 138kv power line on Coronado National Forest land. The Final ROD can be found here.

Hermosa is an advanced mining project in Southern Arizona capable of producing up to five federally designated critical minerals, including zinc, silver and manganese. Construction is already half-way complete on private land. It was the first mining project added to, and covered under, the federal FAST-41 permitting program, a process reserved for infrastructure projects that must meet certain, rigorous criteria to demonstrate how they will benefit the nation.

“From the beginning, we designed Hermosa to be a different kind of mine, and the federal review process helped make it even better,” said Pat Risner, South32 Hermosa President. “Years of agency review, Tribal consultation and community engagement strengthened environmental protections, informed project refinements and shaped a project that can transform the local economy. We are grateful to everyone who participated throughout the process and look forward to continuing that engagement as we move from construction and development into operations.”

The Final ROD also represents an important milestone in the broader national conversation around domestic critical mineral development and permitting reform. Hermosa’s advancement under FAST-41 did not reduce the robustness of environmental review or limit public input. Rather, the process helped improve interagency coordination, transparency and accountability across federal agencies while ensuring the project moved through permitting in a timely and disciplined manner. Hermosa’s FAST-41 dashboard page can be found here.

Over the course of the review process, Hermosa underwent extensive federal environmental analysis and consultation including more than 120 days of formal public comment periods, coordination across six federal and state agencies and consultation with 12 Tribes with historic affiliation to the region.

“If we’re serious about bringing supply chains back to America and reducing our dependence on foreign countries, we need to responsibly produce more critical minerals here at home. This is exactly what the Hermosa project is doing,” said U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). “This milestone shows we can move projects through an efficient permitting process to create good-paying jobs while strengthening our national security.” 

“South32’s Hermosa project will not only be an economic driver for Santa Cruz County, but for the entire United States, producing critical minerals that will power our 21^st-Century energy economy,” said U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.). “I applaud South32 for their commitment to proactive and continued community consultation and input that has led to this federal permit Record of Decision and look forward to seeing the project’s continued benefit for Southern Arizona.”  

“Congratulations to the U.S. Forest Service and South32 for reaching this significant milestone in the permitting of the Hermosa Project,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “This project was the first mining project covered by FAST-41 and helped lay the groundwork for the 57 additional mining projects that have followed during the Trump Administration. I look forward to our continued partnership with federal and industry stakeholders as we get this project to the federal permitting finish line in the coming weeks.”

South32 conducted extensive baseline environmental studies and community engagement before permit applications were formally submitted, allowing project alternatives, water management approaches, access roads and mitigation measures to be shaped by stakeholder input early in the process.

The Final ROD confirms that environmental protections, mitigation commitments and adaptive management measures are integrated into the approved project. Throughout the review process, South32 refined Hermosa's design in response to agency feedback, Tribal consultation and community input, including:

• Redesign of the dry-stack tailings facility to avoid sensitive plant species;

• Design of a Primary Access Road, necessary for expansion, to also reduce traffic impacts to Patagonia and outdoor recreation areas;

• Surface and ground water quality and quantity monitoring beyond state level requirements;

• Wildlife crossings and habitat protections;

• Cultural resource avoidance measures; and

• Operational refinements designed to reduce emissions, noise and surface disturbance.

In total, South32 committed to more than 135 conservation, mitigation and monitoring measures developed in coordination with federal agencies, Tribes and local stakeholders. Many of those commitments will become federally enforceable components of the final Mine Plan of Operations and associated management plans outlined in the Final ROD.  

“The Final Record of Decision for Hermosa is another important milestone for Nogales. It reflects years of collaboration to ensure the Hermosa project is developed in a way that balances economic opportunity with environmental stewardship,” said Nogales Mayor Jorge Maldonado. “South 32 is making a long-term investment in the people and future of Nogales through investments like its remote operating center “Centro”. Hermosa has the potential to create new opportunities to support good-paying jobs and help ensure that more of our young people can build successful careers right here at home, and we appreciate South32's commitment to developing Hermosa responsibly while creating opportunities for local families, students and businesses.”

With a surface footprint of 750 acres and projected to use approximately 90% less water than other mines in the region, South32 designed Hermosa to minimize its environmental impact. Once in operation, Hermosa would help transform and grow the local economy and create up to 900 good-paying jobs, during peak operations, and support investment across surrounding communities for decades to come.

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Read our federal process fact sheet here and additional stakeholder support messages here.

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About South32 Hermosa

Located in a historic mining district in the Patagonia Mountains of Southern Arizona, South32 Hermosa is currently the only advanced mine development project in the United States that could produce up to five federally designated critical minerals — including zinc and manganese — both of which are essential minerals for powering the nation’s energy future. Learn more at www.south32hermosa.com.  

Hermosa is a polymetallic development comprised of a zinc-lead-silver sulfide deposit, a battery-grade manganese deposit and an extensive, highly prospective land package with the potential for further polymetallic and copper mineralization.