"South32’s Hermosa, the first mine in a fast-tracked permitting program, discharged water with levels of a heavy metal that required alerting the state, but neighbors learned about the issue from local watchdogs."
"A proposed critical minerals mine in southern Arizona that was the first added to a federal permitting process designed to be quicker and more transparent has reported water with levels exceeding the state’s regulatory limits of a mineral that can damage the heart, lungs, stomach and eyes. On Tuesday, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) told Inside Climate News that it is launching an investigation into the discharges.
The mine, South32’s Hermosa project located near Patagonia, Arizona, is looking to extract silver, lead, zinc and manganese, with a final decision from the U.S. Forest Service on whether it can proceed expected in February. It’s the first mine in the nation to be added to the Fast-41 program, which is supposed to improve the timeliness, predictability and transparency of federal permitting for selected projects, and could set the standard for others as the nation looks to expand its domestic mineral production.
Lab results from October submitted to ADEQ on Nov. 30 show South32’s water discharge exceeded the allowed levels of antimony, a heavy metal, said ADEQ spokesperson Alma Suarez in a statement. The company, she said, claims the results are a lab error."
Wyatt Myskow reports for Inside Climate News December 9, 2025.
Advertisement 
