Highlights
- The U.S. Forest Service signed South32 Hermosa's Final Mine Plan of Operations, authorizing construction on federal land in Southern Arizona.
- Hermosa is the first mining project to complete the federal FAST-41 permitting program, which is reserved for infrastructure projects meeting rigorous national-benefit criteria.
- Zinc mining underground is expected in late 2027, with first zinc product from the processing plant targeted for the first half of 2028.
- The project is expected to produce up to five federally designated critical minerals and create up to 900 jobs at peak operations.
The U.S. Forest Service has signed the Final Mine Plan of Operations for South32's Hermosa project near Patagonia, authorizing the company to begin construction on federal land and clearing the last regulatory hurdle for a critical minerals mine years in the making.
The signing, which took place during a ceremony at the project site, follows the Forest Service's issuance of a Final Record of Decision on July 7. Together, the two actions establish the federal framework under which South32 can develop ancillary infrastructure on Forest Service land, including the Primary Access Road, a secondary drystack tailings storage facility, and other supporting operations beyond the company's privately held acreage.
Hermosa is 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. South32 plans to begin initial earthworks, surveys, and geotechnical investigations in the coming weeks.
The project is also the first to complete the FAST-41 permitting program, a federal process reserved for infrastructure projects that must meet rigorous criteria to demonstrate national benefit. USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Alexander Vaden attended the ceremony and noted the Hermosa approval was the third project USDA has commissioned under the Permitting Council's jurisdiction in seven days.
What is the FAST-41 program?
FAST-41 is a federal permitting track for infrastructure projects that must demonstrate how they will benefit the nation. Hermosa was the first mining project added to, covered under, and completed in the program. Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director, said the project "set the standard for what the modern federal permitting process should look like: clear timelines, real transparency, and comprehensive interagency coordination."
More than 135 environmental protection, conservation, and mitigation and monitoring measures have been incorporated into the approved project, all federally enforceable through the Final Record of Decision, Final Mine Plan of Operations, and associated management plans. Once operational, the project is expected to create up to 900 jobs during peak operations.
KTAR reported that Hermosa became the fastest mining project to clear federal permitting. Mining.com noted the project secured final federal approval in just over two years.
South32 targets the start of initial earthworks and exploration drilling surveys in the coming weeks.
Sources
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- aztechcouncil.org retrieved 08/09/2026 18:13
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 08/09/2026 18:13. Every claim traces to a source.
