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South32 Hermosa Critical Minerals Project

PERMITTING DASHBOARD PROJECT POSTING DATE: MAY 05, 2023

All dates below are specific to the schedule of the Environmental Review and Permitting processes for this project.

Planned

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING STATUS
PLANNED

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ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING
PENDING

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ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING PROCESSES
COMPLETED

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SECTOR
Mining

Project Category

CATEGORY
Project Category FAST-41 Covered Projects

Department of Agriculture

LEAD AGENCY
Department of Agriculture, US Forest Service

Description:

The South32 Hermosa Critical Minerals Project (Hermosa Project) is a proposed zinc and manganese mining and processing operation in a historic mining district in Santa Cruz County, Arizona near the US-Mexico border. The Hermosa project sponsor proposes to construct a small-footprint, underground mining operation applying low-carbon design and best-in-class engineering principles. Part of the Hermosa Project area will involve subsurface and surface disturbance of lands within the Coronado National Forest.

Zinc and manganese are both designated critical minerals by the U.S. Geological Survey, and President Biden has identified manganese as one of five strategic and critical minerals and authorized the Department of Defense to use its authorities under the Defense Production Act to increase domestic mining and processing necessary for the large-capacity battery supply chain.