SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Ariz. (KGUN) — A coalition of 16 environmental organizations, led by the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA), has formally challenged the federal government’s environmental review of the proposed South32 Hermosa mine project, citing critical flaws in the analysis.
On Wednesday, June 18, PARA submitted an extensive set of formal comments to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in response to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Hermosa Project.
The submission, supported by groups including Earthworks and the Sierra Club, argues that the DEIS lacks sufficient analysis of the mine’s potential environmental, health and community impacts.
“It is our responsibility to protect our air, water, public health, and the health of all human and non-human lifeforms that live in the Patagonia Mountains from the reality of 21st-century industrialized mining,” said Carolyn Shafer, Mission Coordinator at PARA.
The coalition’s comments came from around two dozen experts from local and national organizations.
The groups claim that the DEIS failed to fully analyze environmental conditions in the biodiverse Patagonia Mountains and underestimated or ignored the impacts on nearby development.
Organizations such as the Center for Biological Diversity say the Patagonia Mountains, part of the Sky Islands region, serve as critical habitat for endangered species like jaguars, Sonoran tiger salamanders and Mexican spotted owls.
“We still have a chance to protect this refuge,” said Russ McSpadden of the Center for Biological Diversity. “This is a precious place for Arizonans, and everyone needs to speak up for these mountains before it’s too late.”
Environmental scrutiny of the Hermosa mine intensified after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruled on May 30 that a state-issued air quality permit for the mine did not meet federal standards under the Clean Air Act.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) now has 90 days to revise the permit to comply.
“We can't forecast how this story ends,” Shafer said, “but we can guarantee it will be (and already is) a better story if we work for the best environmental outcomes.”
The Hermosa mine’s two proposed underground operations would extract zinc, manganese, lead and silver. Mine operator South32 held a groundbreaking in April its Centro remote operation center in Nogales.
The coalition is calling on the USFS to revise and resubmit the DEIS for full public review before making any final decisions on the project. The public comment period remains open until midnight on Monday, June 23.
Comments can be submitted online or by emailing sm.fs.r3cnfnepa@usda.gov with the subject line “Hermosa Critical Minerals Project.”
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
