Urgent: Submit Your Comment today to Stop the Hermosa Critical Minerals Project!
The deadline for public comments is today, June 23, 2025.
The U.S. Forest Service has fast-tracked the proposed Hermosa Mine in the Patagonia Mountains. However, several risks have yet to be fully evaluated in the draft environmental impact statement, raising serious concerns for our communities and the environment.
Tell the Forest Service it must reject the current plan of operation and do due diligence to ensure protection of this land for all Americans.
As proposed, the mine will damage critical wildlife corridors and harm lifegiving springs and streams that support more than 100 imperiled species, including jaguars, Mexican spotted owls, and yellow-billed cuckoos.
As part of dewatering operations, 6.84 million gallons of water per day would be discharged into Harshaw Creek, wreaking havoc on the ecosystem.
The Forest Service is not planning to evaluate how the mine will harm the health and habitat of these at-risk species. But there’s still time for the agency to do this crucial step.
Urge the agency to complete further risk studies so it can give the public a full, honest account before final decisions are made. Comments are due today!.
Here’s why your comment matters:
- The DEIS does not adequately analyze and assess the Hermosa mine’s air quality impacts. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently objected to the issuance of the air pollution permit, holding that it failed to assure adequate monitoring of air pollution necessary to assure compliance with permitted emission limits.
- The agency has also not demonstrated compliance with the National Forest Management Act, including with the Coronado National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan.
- The Hermosa Project lies within one of just thirty-six biodiversity hotspots in the world, commonly known as the Sky Islands. Fifteen threatened, endangered, and candidate species rely on habitat in the vicinity of the Hermosa Project for their survival. Of primary concern is the lack of a Biological Assessment and Section 7 Consultation with the USFWS. The proper and required scientific analysis for biological impacts of the Hermosa Project has not been conducted to provide accurate information for the DEIS.
- There is a material failure to resolve contradictions between statements in the DEIS and those in South32’s Mining Plan of Operations (MPO) regarding the extent of Class III cultural resource surveys conducted in the Project area.
- The DEIS should evaluate potential impacts from leaky tailings liners (UDCs), failure of tailing storage facilities (TSFs) and overflow due to stormwater.
- There simply is not sufficient water for this project. The changes in the groundwater balances for the Harshaw Creek Watershed, the Patagonia Municipal Watersheds and in the Cienega Creek Page Groundwater Basin due to pumping by South32 Hermosa have not been adequately or correctly assessed.
Act Now: Use the form below to view and edit your comment letter.
Thank you for taking action to protect Arizona’s wildlife and public lands!