On September 2, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) signed South32 Hermosa’s Final Mine Plan of Operation (MPO) during a ceremony at the project site in Southern Arizona, the final federal authorization needed for development on USFS land, marking the completion of the project’s FAST-41 federal permitting process and making Hermosa the first FAST-41-covered mining project to complete federal permitting. The milestone follows the USFS’s issuance of the Final Record of Decision (ROD) on July 7.
Together, these actions establish the federal framework under which South32 can develop and operate ancillary infrastructure on USFS land needed for Hermosa’s full development beyond its privately held land, including the Primary Access Road, secondary dry-stack tailings storage facility and other supporting operations. South32 said it plans to begin initial earthworks activities and surveys to support exploration drilling and geotechnical investigations in the coming weeks, representing the first physical activity enabled by the federal approval.
“South32 Hermosa’s experience as the first covered mining project in FAST-41 shows that strong coordination and accountability can bring greater certainty and efficiency to the federal permitting process while maintaining the rigorous standards communities and stakeholders expect,” said Pat Risner, president of South32 Hermosa. “The Permitting Council provided the resources and support needed to progress this complex interagency process on schedule. That shared commitment and collective will supported a thorough review, including extensive public engagement and Tribal consultation, while providing greater predictability and transparency. It’s a model for how rigorous permitting can work better and more efficiently for everyone involved.”
“As the first-ever FAST-41 mining project, the Hermosa Critical Minerals project set the standard for what the modern federal permitting process should look like: clear timelines, real transparency and comprehensive interagency coordination,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council executive director. “That is exactly what FAST-41 was designed to do.”
The $3.3 billion South32 Hermosa Critical Minerals project 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 halfway complete on private land, with zinc mining underground expected in late 2027 and first zinc product from the processing plant in the first half of 2028. In total, more than 135 environmental protection, conservation, and mitigation and monitoring measures have been incorporated into the approved project.
Once operational, the project will be the largest investment in southern Arizona history, creating up to 900 jobs during peak operations while strengthening domestic supplies of minerals essential to energy infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and national security.
Senior federal officials joined South32 employees and local stakeholders at Hermosa on September 2 to recognize the milestone, including representatives from the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The ceremony included remarks recognizing the collaboration among federal agencies, South32 and local stakeholders that helped move Hermosa through the rigorous federal review process.
The post South32 Hermosa Completes FAST-41 Permitting Process appeared first on E & MJ.
