South32’s Hermosa project enters US federal permitting under FAST-41

The US Forest Service has started the federal permitting process for South32‘s (LSE: S32; ASX: S32) Hermosa project by kicking off the environmental review required by the National Environmental Policy Act. 

The US$2.2-billion Hermosa is the only advanced U.S. mining project capable of producing zinc and manganese, both federally designated critical minerals. Last year, it became the first project to be added to the FAST-41 permitting process that aims to coordinate government approvals and provide more transparency on project timelines.

The federal government has published a notice of intent to share South32’s project plans. Community members will have until through June 10 to provide input and publicly comment on the scope of analysis and issues the Forest Service should consider as a part of Hermosa’s environmental impact statement. 

While all of Hermosa’s mining will be done from private lands and require several state permits to begin initial development, a federal permit is required to develop the project. 

Located in the Patagonia Mountains, about 80 km southeast of Tucson, Ariz., Hermosa comprises the zinc-lead-silver Taylor sulphide deposit and the zinc-manganese-silver Clark oxide deposit. In addition to these deposits, Hermosa has a highly prospective broader land package that includes the copper-lead-zinc-silver Peake exploration target and the Flux prospect.

The federal scoping process that just started is specifically focused on the scope of the environmental analysis, alternatives that meet the purpose and need of the project, and receiving information that will help the Forest Service understand the environmental impacts of the project’s proposed expansion of ancillary infrastructure onto Forest Service lands. 

Federal authorization is expected to take two more years and include multiple rounds of public feedback and discussion. 

“South32’s Hermosa project aims to set a new standard for sustainable mining, with advanced technology,” Brent Musslewhite, Hermosa’s director of permitting and approvals, said in a statement. “Because we are building it from the ground up, it is being designed to minimize environmental impact, including operating on a limited surface footprint, using approximately 75% less water than other mines in the region and achieving the goal of no net loss for biodiversity.”

South32’s board’s recent approval of US$2.2 billion in funding to develop Hermosa will qualify the project as the largest private investment in southern Arizona’s history.