Hermosa Mine proves reasonable permitting can be done in US

The U.S. Forest Service’s final record of decision (ROD) for South32’s Hermosa Project in southern Arizona is perhaps the strongest real-world example that it is possible to move a critical minerals project into production in a timely manner, without sacrificing rigorous environmental review and standards. In early July, South32 received the ROD that completes the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review required for the project’s development on National Forest System land. The decision allows South32 to move forward with key infrastructure, including a primary access road, a secondary dry-stack tailings facility and a portion of a new 138-kV power line. Construction on Hermosa’s privately owned land is already roughly halfway complete. It is welcome news for the folks developing the zinc and nickel mine near Patagonia, AZ as well as for many others in the U.S. mining industry who have struggled with a complex permitting process. Hermosa is the first mining project accepted into the federal FAST-41 permitting program. According to South32 Hermosa president Pat Risner, it was a successful test case for the program. “It demonstrated that the rigor wasn’t compromised but rather the efficiency was increased,” Risner told Mining Engineering following the decision. “The NEPA process had the same public comment periods, comment period durations and studies as a project outside of FAST-41.” Instead of weakening environmental review, Risner argues, the program improved how government agencies worked together. “It was improved resourcing, process management and the collective will — everyone working to get to the end, resolving issues and making timely decisions without unnecessary, nonvalue-added delays,” Risner said. “The role of the permitting council and agency leaders was critical because they worked through bottlenecks and increased coordination among the agencies while maintaining the high standard of review.” During the federal review, the project underwent years of environmental studies, consultation with 12 Tribes with historic ties to the region, coordination among six federal and state agencies and more than 120 days of formal public comment. “We were committed to being a different kind of mine and setting a new standard for sustainable development because it is our values and critical for a social license to operate,” Risner said. “We wanted to show stakeholders and the community that mining could be done differently.” Hermosa is expected to produce up to five federally designated critical minerals, including zinc, silver and manganese. The project has attracted bipartisan support, with Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego both citing its importance to rebuilding U.S. critical mineral supply chains while creating high-quality jobs. “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,” Kelly said. “This milestone shows we can move projects through an efficient permitting process to create good-paying jobs while strengthening our national security.” Risner said the process demonstrated that mining companies and government agencies can work collaboratively rather than adversarially through permitting. And that the process can help increase confidence in the mining industry. “When Hermosa was acquired by South32, one of the greatest risks highlighted by leadership and our shareholders was if the project could get permitting in the United States in a timely manner. FAST-41 reduced that risk, enabling investment in onshoring critical supply chains,” Risner said. “With the support of the permitting council there was a collective will by all agencies to deliver to the timeline and truly collaborate to conduct a robust process in a predictable time frame.” While the ROD is a positive step forward, there is still work to be done. “Underlying NEPA reform is still needed, and judicial reform is most critical to ensure predictability for investments while maintaining the public’s rights,” he said. “One thing is reaching the end of the permitting process; another is to ensure litigation doesn’t go on unnecessarily for years on issues that could be reviewed and resolved in a timely manner.” If the current schedule holds, South32 expects first underground ore production near the end of 2027, with first zinc concentrate produced during the first half of 2028.

Hermosa Mine proves reasonable permitting can be done in US

Authored by: William Gleason

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