Fwd: Nation’s first critical minerals mine nears approval in biodiversity hotspot

[Loretta Lohman]

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View this email in your browser The U.S. Forest Service on March 5 announced it plans to soon approve the nation’s first critical minerals mine, South32’s Hermosa project, when it released the final environmental impact statement, which was permitted under a streamlined process. The federal government called it “a strategic investment in America’s energy future” that “directly supports U.S. energy and security needs.” But in Patagonia, Arizona, residents and environmentalists are preparing for the impacts the project will bring to a world-renowned biodiversity hotspot, as the town, the nearby city of Nogales and Santa Cruz County inch closer to signing a community benefit agreement with the Australian mine company, South32, to mitigate and help address the impacts it is already bringing. South32’s $2 billion Hermosa project would extract zinc, lead and silver, all deemed critical minerals by the administration of President Donald Trump. A second mineral deposit contains manganese, another critical mineral, though a decision to move forward with extracting it is pending. South32 is also evaluating a copper deposit found on site. Since its inception, the project has drawn pushback from locals and environmentalists. The Patagonia mountains are part of what are known as the Sky Islands, a series of mountains across the Sonoran Desert. They are famed for the biodiversity nurtured by their elevation, which provides isolated refuges from the hot desert floor, both inspiring their island moniker and serving as a bridge for wildlife connecting the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Madre range in Mexico.  More of our coverage of the biggest story on the planet: Oil companies won the right to drill on more than 1.3 million acres across the Alaskan Arctic on Wednesday. With gas prices rising due to the United States and Israel’s war with Iran, interest in renewables and EVs is rising. Misinformation may be holding consumers back. 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